


Have a Little "Faith"

by Faith_Sama



Category: Naruto
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-05-10 06:52:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 65
Words: 127,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14732043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faith_Sama/pseuds/Faith_Sama
Summary: An Experiment.That's all she is.The famed Orochimaru had made his choice when it came to his next 'plaything', preying upon the sickly little girl by the name of 'Faith'. Will she become a powerful shinobi who makes friends more valuable to her than her own life? Or will she fall into the hands of the Snake and become his pawn?DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!I also wish to warn you that this has OCs as well. Do with that as you will.Also: This story hasn't been updated in the earlier chapters, so trust me when I say that it starts off bad. You can also trust me when I say that it doesn't stay that way.CURRENTLY EDITING!





	1. Background

Name: Faith

Age: 10

Occupation: None. Whatsoever.

So why was this happening to me? I have no information they need, no valuable skills, nothing important. I’m the most _useless_ person to ever step foot in this village, lacking both the ability to use ninjutsu to properly become a ninja and being too physically weak to strengthen myself. Of all the people in my household, I was the smallest and the pathetic one. So why am I still alive? Why weren't they?

**30 Minutes Earlier**

"Momma, when is dinner gonna be done?" I stared up at the figure before me, blue eye bright and full of curiosity as I bounced on the soles of my feet making my dark brown hair bounce along. I couldn’t help but go back and forth between the kitchen and my room as my mother stood in front of the stove with the boiling pot, having a hard time deciding if I’d have enough time to go outside before everything was finished.

"In just a minute, Faith. Just gotta wait for everything to get done." My mother turned her head away from the boiling pot of what I assumed was spaghetti, her shimmering blue eyes looking at me fondly before slowly trailing over to my left eye. She had the tendency to do that after what had happened to me at the doctor not too long ago, keeping me hidden away in the house to protect me from the dangers of the outside world. Before she could get too lost in thought, my mother swiped her strawberry blonde hair to the side and looked back at the food to seemingly distract herself. "I know that you want to go outside, but make sure you go around back, okay? I want you to be safe."

There was a moment of hesitation before I finally nodded my head in agreement, struggling to hide the excitement of finally being trusted enough to step outside in the fresh air. It felt like ages since I was allowed to see the sky and clouds hanging above my head, especially with my best friend. Man, I wish I could see him.

With a small hop in my step, I walked fast towards the front door of our small home and swung the door open, the smile on my face widening at the rush of fresh air that seemed to pull me outside and into a comforting state of bliss. There was so much around me for me to look at, the sights that I had grown up with feeling new and unfamiliar to me thanks to being kept indoors for quite some time. The flowers, the grass, the trees, the sky, you name it and it was there for me to take in its beauty.

I wish I had never left her side.

Just as I went to bend down and snatch a small lotus blossom that was growing close to a small lake not too far from the outside of our house, a loud scream resonated through the air from the direction of my own home. With a heart pounding fearfully in my chest, my mind ran a mile a minute at the thought that my mother could have injured herself with the large pot of boiling hot water. With legs as quick as my thoughts, I heaved myself up and did the best that I could to get back to the house and make sure that my mother didn’t end up with severe burns.

It wasn’t the water.

As soon as I had shoved the screen door open and to the side, my nose was attacked with an acrid scent in the air that made my hand fly to cover my nose and mouth almost immediately. It took a moment for me to come to my senses, but the sound of scraping metal and the sight of red pooling from the kitchen was enough to make bile rise in my throat.

Why us?

It felt like my feet were cemented to the ground as I listened to the sounds of my father yelling from the back room, and I assumed that he was fighting off the person that had come into our home to ruin our day. I risked a step forward, and then another, slowly making my way towards the kitchen that was connected to the front room. I could hear my heartbeat loud and clear as I peered my head around the wall, the sight before me making me vomit the contents of my lunch right on the floor in front of me.

My mother, lying dead in a pool of her own blood.

Without even thinking, my feet moved me closer to her fallen form as tears welled in my eyes at the sight alone. It took a moment for me to let what had happened sink in, my legs grew weak as I dropped on the floor beside her and mourn her. I felt disgusting having vomited up everything that was in my poor body, my body visibly shaking as the blood seeped into my clothes. This shouldn’t have happened to her. This shouldn’t have happened at all.

My hands were stained red by the time I had sat up, having checked for any signs of life before facing the truth of the situation. I could hear my father in the back room struggling to stay alive, but knowing my cowardice and weakness I knew that going back there would only be a distraction. I subconsciously wiped my face of tears before realizing what I had done, though my heart was too heavy and burdened to care that I had tainted my pale white skin with the crimson red.

**_"Dad!"_ **

My heart dropped at the sound of a thud, my sisters’ voices shaking me from my small daze. There was no way that my dad had failed to fight this person off, right? That sound was just my siblings being overjoyed that he had finished the job and had saved the rest of us! My dad couldn’t just _die,_ right? Not my dad too, **_right?_ **

Minutes passed before another sound was heard, a certain burning feeling in my chest making me shake my head to try and concentrate on what was happening. Footsteps seemed to be creeping towards the kitchen from the back room, the fear in my heart keeping my feet firmly planted in place as I awaited the fate that awaits me. Covered in blood and terrified out of my mind, there was nothing I could do. Everything inside of me was telling me to run, to get away from the advancing figure, but my body refused to move from the kitchen.

Was there any point of fleeing now?

The figure turned the corner and finally showed their face, showing that my fears had come true; my father had lost the battle in the back room, and I could only imagine that my siblings were met with the same terrible fate. Looking up into the face of my family's attacker, I stared at him with a blank look, not sure of what else to do at the moment as my heart seemed to have stopped in my chest. All words that I wanted to curse at him with were lodged in my throat, my body visibly shaking as I accepted my death.

He smiled an evil smile and had slitted yellow eyes like a snake, making my heart race at the sight of him alone. Something in my head was telling me that I had seen him somewhere before, though the fact that this strange man was covered in my family’s blood and slowly moving closer and closer was making me tense up fearfully as all thought left me. Completely fearless, and nonchalant of the fact that he was standing in a pool of my family's blood, the snake man spoke to me with a hissing voice and said something that made my heart freeze.

_"You aren't worthy."_


	2. Ninja School

Things were lonely and sad, my thoughts back to that dreaded day that had changed my life forever. I was sitting on the top branch of a tree, tightening the bandage around my left eye as I sighed and looked down at my forgotten book.

Last week changed me completely; now, I have to cover my eye since I’ve got no choice but to go out and about now, found out that I'm a complete monster that possessed chakra I wasn’t even aware that I had, and the loving family that meant the world to me is gone. I enrolled myself in the academy in hopes of teaching myself how to properly control the chakra I possess, feeling like a useless idiot with how late I was to learn compared to the other students in my new class.

Looking back at my book, I tried to catch up where I left off but concentrating was hard when stupid, useless heartthrob Sasuke walked by and all of the girls were gushing over him. I could feel my eye twitch at the sound of a girl’s high pitched shriek of joy at the sight of the kid with a haircut that resembled a duck butt.

He isn't even cute.

Two of the many people that were gushing I was able to recognize since they were kids in my class, though I couldn’t help but look at the two of them like they were idiots considering they were a part of the Sasuke fan club. They were Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka, the idiots who actually thought that Sasuke was cute even though he’s one of the ugliest kids I have ever seen, though that’s beside the point. 

Closing my book with a sigh escaping my parted lips, I swung my legs over the side of the branch I was resting on and looked around at the assortment of classmates and teachers that were hanging around in the area. They were doing all sorts of things; playing games, talking, napping, and even training with one another in hopes of bettering themselves. Everyone seemed to be getting along fairly well with one another, and that thought was rather nice at first until I realized that I wasn’t exactly a part of it.

Things were pretty lonely; at first, I thought that people hated and ignored me since I was some loser kid that went to the doctor and got messed with to the point of looking like a fool, but that wasn't it at all. I was a Jinchuriki and people didn't like the beast inside me. I’m not the most popular person, I'll tell you that much.

I dropped down from the tree, thinking I should go out for some ramen or any type of food that may have been nearby, but that was before I nearly killed the boy on the swing below. Why? Apparently, he wasn't swinging and was merely using it as a seat as I dropped right on top of him. Who? Naruto Uzumaki himself.

The Uzumaki kid has been my best friend since I can remember, my parents okay with the fact that he possessed the chakra of the demon fox within him. In fact, my parents were almost overjoyed to hear that I had made a friend that they could fuss over as I invited him over to my house almost every other day. Naruto grew to be more than a friend to me, soon feeling like more of an older brother that was welcomed into my family. 

Well, he was.

After the incident with the doctor, my family had cut all ties with anyone outside our house in order to keep me safe from further harm. Thanks to this, Naruto not only drifted away from me in terms of friendship but he also had no idea that my family had died. I was too afraid to tell him, of course, fearing how he would react to the news of losing a second family.

That’s a different matter, though.

After I nearly killed Naruto for not making a sound or movement to indicate that he was directly below me, we both sat on the ground confused and in pain all at the same time. Naruto was rubbing his head, knowing full well that my foot was gonna leave a mark since I had dropped feet first to ensure I landed gently and in a position to just walk away.

"What the hell?!" He exclaimed, shoving the swing in my face as it smacked me right in the nose. "What were you doing?! Watch where you drop next time!"

The swing hit its mark, and it was going to  _ leave _ a mark. As the swing moved away, you could see the rectangular shape of the swing imprinted on my face as well as my displeased and slightly angered frown. It took me a moment to regain my bearings as I pushed him over, watching him get a mouthful of dirt that was enough to satisfy me for the time being. Once Naruto managed to get every bit of earth from his mouth, I slapped him playfully on the arm to lighten the mood.

"You're it," I said cheekily, getting up and running before he had time to make sense of what had happened. Naruto soon got up and started chasing me, and the rest of the day was spent in the company of my best friend

**Next Day**

Apparently, today was the final test and if you failed you didn't become a ninja. I was completely unaware that something like this would be happening in the first place, though it did make sense considering all that has been taught over the course of time as well as the kids needing to advance to genin  _ somehow.  _ It still irked my nerves that I had no idea that it was happening today, meaning that either Iruka-sensei had decided to leave me in the dark or I wasn’t paying attention when he had disclosed this information with us. All in all, I’m betting on the latter.

I had to rush to class so I wouldn't be late since I had woken up late, my heart pounding in my chest as I made my way towards the doors of the academy. I had shown up on time, thankfully, because if I had shown up any later I wouldn’t have known about the test in the first place.

The instructions were simple: create at least 3 doppelgangers of yourself and you can get the headband. It was a rather simple jutsu that I was quick to master having joined Iruka-sensei’s class, and even though I was nervous upon hearing my name be called to show the teachers I was able to do so with flying colors. I let out a well-deserved sigh of relief once I was done, making a mental note to pay attention in class more so I wouldn’t be forced to come up with things on the spot.

All in all, Naruto was the only student in the entire classroom who didn't pass. which confused me quite a bit; I understand that doppelgangers weren't his strong point, but he didn't even really make a single one that was acceptable in the teachers’ eyes. I felt nothing but pity for him as I watched the teachers look at him with a mix of disappointment and sorrow, though my mind drew blanks when it came to coming up with a way to help him.

After the test, everyone was outside celebrating with their families and hugging one another for their accomplishments. I felt a pang of envy course through me at the sight of a new genin girl running into her father’s open arms with a wide smile, though I shook my head and came to terms with the fact that I can’t make enemies with everyone that has what I do not. Instead, I raised my head up high to show that I wasn’t afraid and made my way towards Naruto as he sat on that swing of his and watched the same family that I had been.

The closer I got to Naruto, the more I could see his saddened expression clear as day on his face; it brought sadness to my heart to see him in such a state, though the longer I stared the more I seemed to struggle with an idea on what I should do to help him out.

_ “He’s the only kid who’s failed.” _

_ “He shouldn’t become a shinobi.” _

_ “Especially since—” _

"Hey, Naruto?" I asked, walking up to him, the small rubber ball in my hands nearly popping as I tried to control my anger at the sound of the others’ voices behind me. In fact, the only reason the last person was cut off was thanks to me turning slowly and giving her a look that most would faint at. “Do you want to come and play ball with me?”

Naruto looked up at me, his expression hardened and uncaring as he stared up at me from his position and shook his head no. He didn’t say anything at first until he realized that I hadn’t moved from my spot in front of him, his brows furrowed and his eyes downcast.

“What part of “no” do you not understand, huh? I don’t want to play with you, not now, not soon, not ever! Just leave me alone like the rest of them! You can go and gloat about your new headband to someone else because I don’t want to talk to you and these people ever again!”

I stood there with my visible eye widened in surprise, confused and hurt that he was essentially shoving me away from him which was hard for me to comprehend. After he had finished speaking, the ball in my hands dropped to the ground at my feet, my hands trembling as I held back my tears. I wasn’t intending to hurt his feelings in any way, shape, or form; I wanted to help him to take his mind off the thoughts of the nasty villagers and give him something fun to do since he was unfortunate enough not to pass the test. I just wanted the best for him.

Naruto stood up from the swing rather quickly, making me stumble backward in fear of him just taking his clenched fist and swinging it into my face. Rather than hitting me like I half expected, he disappeared in a poof of smoke and left me standing in front of his favorite swing alone.

I looked down in shame at the thought of losing my best friend, my pale hand raising to wipe a stray tear from my eye. It hurt my feelings not because he wanted to get rid of me, but because I was powerless to do anything to help make him feel better. I couldn’t invite him over to the house for dinner anymore in fear of him finding out what had happened, I couldn’t teach him how to make a clone since Iruka-sensei had already done everything that he could to teach him, and now I couldn’t even distract him with a ball for even a minute or two. I’m pathetic for not being able to help him.

With a heavy heart, I carefully kicked the ball to the side and watched it roll away with blurred vision. I sniffed and wiped my eyes again to hopefully get rid of every tear that threatened to spill, taking my foot and gently kicking it further and further away to try and distract myself like a child. It worked a little bit, though the picture of Naruto’s gaze pierced me like a kunai knife to the heart.

“What are you doing?”

I looked up from the ground and saw an unfamiliar face, though my first impression told me that he shouldn't be too much of a threat; he looked to be a student who was wearing a green jumpsuit, a red headband around his waist and had big eyes and even bigger brows. The black bowl cut on his head seemed to shine oddly, though it was the last thing that was on my mind. The first, however, was wondering if he was here to ridicule me or try and lighten my spirits. He was staring at me like I was an idiot since all I was doing was staring at him like a deer caught in headlights, which is what I felt like at the moment.

"Playing ball," I responded quietly.

"By yourself?" He asked, tilting his head slightly as he looked at me funny.

The kid put his hands on his hips at the sight of my small nod, giving me an odd expression where his mouth formed a wobbly M shape and his large eyes seemed to be staring directly into my nonexistent soul. After a moment or two of him seemingly making his mind up, he took one hand from his hip to give me a large thumbs up and closed a single eye.

“Not to worry,” he exclaimed, “you needn’t play alone any longer; I shall play ball with you!”

There was something about this kid that felt a little  _ off  _ to me, though I couldn’t help but smile at his weird way of speaking and acting. It was nice to see that someone didn’t think that I was the scum of the earth, especially with my puffy red cheeks from me crying like a little baby. Instead, this guy treated me like just another kid, smiling at me every so often as he kicked the ball back to me.

After I found out that his name was Rock Lee, we started to play a little bit of soccer, more intense than simply kicking it back and forth to one another. Who knew that he would be so competitive to the point that when he kicked the ball, he kicked it as hard as he could and it wound up hitting one of the jonin straight in the face? Well, certainly not me, and especially not the jonin that looked ready to throw us off of Hokage mountain as he lectured us with a bloodied nose.

We didn't play ball anymore after that.

After getting scolded, I followed Lee around as he trained constantly; he would do push-ups, jumping jacks, run laps, and even jump rope without breaking a sweat. When he wasn't doing any of those things, we'd talk about the school and who we thought my teacher would be since Lee seemed to know more jonin teachers than I did. After that, Lee and I finally sat down and took a break as he refixed the bandages on his arms, telling me more about himself.

"I wanna prove to the world that you don't need to have genjutsu or ninjutsu to be a great ninja!" He exclaimed, making his hand clench into a fist as soon as he was done with his bandages.

"You only use taijutsu?" I looked up at him in awe, hanging on to his every word with wide eyes like a child. 

"Yup! And I'm gonna blow everyone away with my skills!" He gave me another one of his thumbs up, the grin on his face warm and inviting though blinding at the same time. 

I hesitated at this one, thinking back to my own situation before finding out that I had chakra that I was able to use; rather than give up and live your life wishing for more, Lee here went the extra mile to strengthen himself anyway and prepared himself to be a strong ninja without the use of jutsu that most other ninjas would use. It brought a smile to my face to know that he was a fighter, lauding him for doing what I could not.

"Alright! Follow your dreams!" I cheered.

He seemed pretty happy about my response as his eyes closed into a familiar U shape that I usually associated with Naruto, but before he could fully take it to heart several people ran past us holding weapons and yelling angrily.

_ "It's that damn Naruto again!" _

_ "Leave it to him to steal that scroll!" _

_ "We should have killed him when we had the chance!" _

Speak of the devil; here I was finally getting over the fact that he had discarded me in a time of grief and the moment my mind starts to subconsciously trail back to him, it turns out he’s pulling some stupid stunt that may get him publicly executed by the old farts that hate his guts. What was Naruto doing stealing a scroll like that?

Lee and I locked eyes for a moment before we decided to part ways, especially with how late it had gotten from us chatting without any regards for our surroundings. I was a little worried at the sight of torches and pitchforks in the hands of some of the villagers, a picture of Naruto lying on the ground near death imprinted on my mind. Was Naruto hurt?

No, thinking bad thoughts was not a good thing. I need to stay positive, especially since I don’t know the whole situation yet. For now, I need to convince myself that nothing bad has happened unless told otherwise and hope that Naruto is just somewhere safe for the time being, though I wasn’t sure what to think considering he possessed a scroll that he shouldn’t.

I looked down at my hand for a little bit before clenching it into a tight fist, thinking about Naruto’s safety while also remembering that he had pushed me away. Part of me wants to go after him and hope for the best, but another part of me feels the need to give him his space considering that I felt partially responsible for his actions. Did I unintentionally anger him into stealing a scroll? Maybe he wanted to prove that he could be a good ninja, right?

I sat on the ground for a moment longer before standing up and heading home, the thought of going to class fresh in my mind as I mentally prepared myself for the cells that would be assigned. I had already shown up late today when there was a test that would determine if I was ready to be a ninja, now I need to show up to find out who I’m going to be working with without showing up with messy hair and bags under my eyes.

I wasn't planning on showing up late again.


	3. Life is Unfair

**The Next Morning**

It was super early, and I was super tired. The sun was just coming up, and I wasn't. I was still laying in bed, trying to find energy.

Not possible.

Pakkun had told me a few minutes earlier what had happened, or, what he could find out, which wasn't much.

Apparently, Naruto had taken some kind of scroll because a teacher told him to, and that teacher blamed him or something, and things happened. But he was fine. 

Of course, after Pakkun woke me up, I couldn't go back to sleep. But I didn't want to get up.

I sat up and looked out my window, only to see that the sun wasn't even out yet.

Perfect.

Getting up anyways, I rummaged through my fridge, trying to look for a decent breakfast. Settling for eggs, I picked out two from the carton and went to go and get a pan from above the stove.

I was reaching for it with both hands.

One was holding eggs, while also trying to keep me balanced.

One was opening the cabinet. 

Guess what happened?

FUCKING LEE CRASHED THROUGH MY WINDOW, MADE ME DROP THE EGGS ON MY HEAD AS THE PAN FELL TO THE FLOOR, TOPPING IT OFF WITH HIM KICKING ME IN THE FACE.

I WENT DOWN.

He was panicking, freaking out and saying things like, "I'M SO SORRY!" and, "YOUR WINDOWS ARE SO CLEAN, I THOUGHT THEY WERE OPEN!" and then, "I DIDN'T MEAN TO KICK YOU IN THE FACE; PLEASE, LET ME HELP CLEAN THE EGG OFF OF YOUR HEAD!"

I threw the egg yolks from my head at him. 

I was not responsible for his injuries. 

After my anger was released all at once, and Lee was sobbing comically on the floor, I went to the sink and tried to get the remaining egg yolks out of my hair. Once that was done, I walked over to Lee and sighed. 

"What did you do that for?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips, my hair dripping on the floor.

He twitched and looked up at me. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to come and train with me, but it seems like you don't need any........" He trailed off.

I looked over at the scenery outside, seeing that the sun hadn't even come out yet. "You do know what time it is, right?" I asked him.

He nodded and looked out the window himself. "Yes! This is the best time to start training! That way, you'll be full of energy before noon!"

He gave me a thumbs up, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Sure. Why not?"

 

**Later that morning**

 

After an entire morning of training, the both of us went our separate ways, so I wouldn't miss my first day as an official ninja. He waved goodbye and shouted motivational words, as I headed into my classroom, only to find Iruka-Sensei looking at a clipboard.

"Oh, Faith. You're here early." 

"Early? Isn't it--?"

"Well, earlier than usual."

"Oh. That."

He chuckled, and I didn't. Then there was an awkward silence, and even more awkward sweatdrops.

"Umm...... Sorry."

"Its....... Cool..."

And then I took my seat.

 

**When Class Finally Started**

 

Sitting behind Naruto and giving him the 'why did you run off on me and why are you such a turd' look, I tightened the headband over my eye and sighed.

That idiot, always doing something unnec--

Oh, my God. 

Naruto had just jumped up on the table in front of Sasuke and was literally inches from his face.

WTF.

Thinking this would be the best time to get my revenge, I picked up my shoe and threw it at Sasuke's head. At the same time, a kid in front of Naruto bumped into them, causing Naruto to fall forward. 

Score.

They fell forward, and at first, I thought they had simply headbutted.

Boy, was I wrong?

They kissed.

Overkill.

I'm so sorry.

All of the people in the Sasuke fan club were pissed, and there was a lot of anger in one room.

And to top it off, my fucking shoe was laying in the center of the crime.

I wasn't getting out of this one.

"WHAT THE HELL, WHO THREW THAT SHOE AT SASUKE?!"

"WHO WOULD DO SUCH A THING?!" 

"IT WAS PROBABLY A JEALOUS BOY!"

Never mind, I'm fine.

I mean, it doesn't take a detective to find out though. I'm the only person in the entire village that doesn't wear sandals.

I'm surrounded by total idiots.

With my foot getting cold, Iruka-Sensei started class, still holding the clipboard. I didn't really care much, but there was a bunch of people with their names being called out. I only paid attention when I heard Naruto's name being called.

Wait for just a second, did he get in trouble again...? Stupid idiot, always doing something wrong--

"---And Sasuke Uchiha. That'll be team 7." 

WAIT.

HE WAS ANNOUNCING TEAMS?!

WHAT THE HELL, WHY WASN'T I PAYING ATTENTION?!

WHAT IF I WAS PUT ON A TEAM WITH SOME STRANGERS?!

"---And that should be all of the teams."

WHAT.

WHERE?!

WHO WAS I WITH?!?!

"Umm, Sensei, which team am I on again?" I asked, feeling pretty stupid. I should have paid attention the first time... 

"Right..... I don't think you have one yet. You're the oddball right now. We didn't have room..... You'll have to wait for a little..."

Umm.....

What?

"I don't understand..."

"Well, you see, we had just enough people to make a certain number of three-man cells, but there was bound to be one left over. And, because you started late, it was just an unlucky pick."

Are you fuckin' kidding me?

"So, where does that put me?" I asked, clearly unamused.

There was a nervous chuckle, as he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Well, you could wait until next year, or---"

"WHAT."

There was another nervous chuckle, stopped short due to my EXTREMELY unamused face. There were awkward pauses before he ended it with, "I'll see what I can do...."

I flopped back in my seat and glared daggers at anyone who dared to even breathe in my direction.

Today was not a good day.

 

**After Class Was Released**

 

Several students had left the classroom, excited to meet the jonin who would be teaching them. I was gonna stick around a bit, and it seemed I wasn't the only one who got the idea. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were doing the same.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked, sneakily picking up my abandoned shoe.

Sakura looked over at me, just as I had finished slipping my shoe on, and she said, "We're waiting here for our teacher."

"Oh."

Of course, they were.

"Hey, Faith?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Those are some nice shoes you have there."

"Oh, thanks, I---" Wait.

"Kinda looks like the shoe that was thrown at Sasuke....."

"Sasuke?"

Play it cool.

"Yeah. There was a shoe thrown at the back of his head earlier. Do you know anything about that?" She asked, taking a step closer.

I backed away, putting my hands up to form a pretty pathetic shield. "Why would I throw a shoe at Sasuke? He's really not even worth the effort---"

Before Sakura could throw her hissy fit, the door opened, and a silver-haired male poked his head through the doorway, earning him an eraser to the head. Naruto had placed it there while I was being interrogated. 

Naruto was laughing like a fool, Sasuke didn't care, and Sakura was apologizing like crazy.

It didn't matter to me anyways. Not like he was my teacher.

He stood still for a moment, blinking, before saying, "Based off of my first impression............. I hate you."

Kinda glad he isn't my teacher.

He sighed and rubbed his neck, giving zero fucks on the situation at the moment. He looked at the four of us and tilted his head slightly. "Four?" He asked, "I thought this was supposed to be a three-man cell---" 

Tears.

"Umm, is she okay?" The mysterious jonin asked.

Sakura sighed and muttered, "Somehow, yes."

There was a pause before she continued. "She was left behind. The number of three-man cells was made up and one was gonna be left over. She just happened to be it."

"That's unfortunate---" the jonin started before I interrupted.

"PLEASE MR. MASKED SIR, LET ME ON YOUR TEAM! I NEED TO BE A NINJA! PLEASE---"

"It's not up to me to make the decision."

Depression corner.

"Are you sure she's okay...?"

"No."

While I was sitting in my corner of sadness and despair, they headed out the door for god only knows what.

But then it hit me.

"WAIT!"

I stopped them by the door and grabbed the first thing in front of me.

Which just so happened to be the jonin's hair.

"YOU'RE KAKASHI HATAKE, AREN'T YOU?!"

"Yeah, I am......" He had the squiggly tears like they have in the anime, from his hair being yanked. "What about it?"

"You're the person Pakkun was talking about!"

That caught his attention. "Pakkun?" He asked, "How do you know Pakkun?"

"I can summon him! He helps me out and keeps me company sometimes!"

"You're able to summon Pakkun?"

"Yeah!"

"Hmm..... Then that makes you........ Faith, right? I've heard him mention you before."

I nodded a reply and pointed to his headband. "And you're the copy ninja, right? So, under your headband is---"

"Are we going to train or what?! The other teams have already left!" Naruto shouted.

"Don't yell at our teacher, Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed back.

There was a bit of childish fighting, and Kakashi hesitated before approaching them. He looked back for a moment, before leading them away.

I want a team too.....

I walked outside, and they had already disappeared. There was no one in sight, so I didn't have to worry about being bothered.

Boy, was I wrong?

I took one step forward, and heard someone running around the corner, shouting, "WE NEED TO TRAIN HARD TO KEEP OUR YOUTH---"

And they ran right into me.

I fell over backward and got kneed in the face. The next thing I knew, Lee was standing over me, with two people, a boy with long brown hair and a straight, nonchalant face, and a girl with brunette buns in her hair.

Lee looked down at me, and exclaimed, "Look, it's Faith!"

The person who had crashed into me had started to stand up, and he stuck out a hand to help me up, flashing a grin. "Sorry about that!" He exclaimed, "I was so pumped, that once I started running, I couldn't stop myself!"

He looked like an older Lee.

I took his hand and stood up, looking around at all of them. "Umm, hello," I said, looking over to Lee for help. I didn't know these people. What was I supposed to do?

Lee took the hint. He grinned and introduced everyone to me, leaving the jonin last. "And this is Master Guy!" Lee exclaimed, pointing to mister jonin. The jonin flashed another grin and gave a thumbs up.

"Oh. I-It's nice to meet you all."

Why was I so nervous...?

I looked around at all of them again and looked to Lee, who seemed confused. "Shouldn't you be with your cell? Everybody else is---"

-,_-,

"A-Are you okay....?"

-,__________-, "I..... I don't...... Have one......"

"Oh..... Did you fail the test? No, wait....... You have a headband... Then--"

"--There was just enough to where I was left out......"

"Well..... That sucks....."

"A lot......"

There were a bunch more childish tears, and a bunch of, "AH, DID I MAKE YOU SAD?!"

After all of the childish tears had passed, Guy-Sensei invited me to train with them since I didn't have a cell of my own. We trained all day, only stopping once night had fallen. I waved my goodbyes in a better mood than ever.


	4. Old Man Tazuna

**Weeks Later**

 

Several weeks have passed since cells were assigned, and I still didn't have a cell to call my own. Of course, that didn't stop me from participating in missions. Because I didn't have a team, I had to work with a bunch of random teams. It just depended on the mission.

Which leads me to this.

This mission would change everything.

As I was walking in to accept a mission, I happened to see cell 7 standing in front of me, doing the same.

Please no.

Don't make me work with them.

"Ah, Faith!" The Hokage exclaimed, waving at me to step forward. "You're just in time!"

No.

Don't do this.

"Kakashi and his cell were just about to accept a mission! Why not join them?"

"W-What rank?"

"C."

Why. 

"I know, it's another C rank, but bear with me. This is their first one, and I'm sure they could accept your help."

I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah yeah, I understand," I muttered, looking over at Naruto's cell. "I'll work with them."

"Good. Your mission is to protect a certain person."

Great. That usually means that this is gonna take a while. Which means I have to spend even MORE TIME with Sakura and Sasuke.

"You five will see that he safely makes it back to his village. Faith, I understand that this is not your cell, but for this, I want you to at least think of them as such."

There was a sigh, and another glance, but I had to agree to the Hokage's terms. "Yes, sir," I stated, giving a small salute. There was an awkward pause, a lot of staring, and an old guy, who was probably drinking booze, standing in the doorway.

Wait, what?

"So, these are the ninja escorting me back to my village? Heh...... Ninja that small wouldn't fare a second outside. Especially the idiotic midget over there."

Naruto had started to laugh until he realized he was talking about him. Once he realized that, he acted as if he was gonna kill him. Kakashi held him back, and Naruto was flailing like crazy.

"Umm, Naruto, I don't think we can kill the person we've been assigned to protect..... It kinda defeats the purpose." I muttered, dragging him away.

He flailed his arms and tried to escape, still continuing to shout curses. I looked over to the Hokage and Master Iruka with a look that said, 'Please help me, I can't handle them all at once.'

We headed on the mission anyway, with no help from Iruka-Sensei and Sarutobi-San.

 

**At the Front Gate**

 

"This is gonna last longer than I want it to."

"Is the only thing that you can do is complain?"

Kakashi and I had a glare fest for a few minutes for literally no reason at all.

"Why do my complaints bother you?"

"Because I have to listen to them."

"You're complaining about my complaining."

Cell 7 and I continued to carry out the mission, taking the mister to his home village. I let the cell do their own thing, staying several feet behind.

Things were awkward.

They would all glance back at me every 5 minutes or so, and it was making me feel uncomfortable. Then, they would whisper things to each other, and all it did was make me want to murder their faces.

"If you guys are gonna talk about me, at least do so to my face."

We continued to walk in silence, leading Mr. Tazuna towards the village hidden in the mist. It was only until I stepped in a puddle that I realized something was up.

"Umm, Kakashi-Sensei, I think we have a bit of a problem---"

Before he could turn around and address me fully, two ninjas jumped out and tied him up with some strange rope. They then tugged at it, which proceeded to tear up our cell leader.

Great.

"Fucking hell, now I'm stuck with a bunch of idiots," I muttered, looking at these two mysterious ninjas.

They chuckled and lunged for Mr. Tazuna and Sakura, which showed me that now was the time to get in on the action. Sasuke got there before me and tried fending them off.

Using my training with Lee, I ran and jumped, landing the perfect kick to one of the ninja's face.

"SCORE!!" I shouted, giving Sasuke a thumbs up. He didn't seem amused, and it kinda put a damper on my work.

"Okay, wow, tough crowd." I sighed in annoyance and hopped after the ninja I had kicked, leaving Sasuke to fend for himself.

The Lil' pussy that I had kicked decided to hide in the forest, getting out of the clearing. He was trying to lead me away; I knew that for a fact. But that didn't make me stop.

I continued to chase after him, and as I got closer, a certain ninja with silver hair was running the opposite direction: right towards us.

"Go for it, Kakashi." I chuckled.

I soon caught up to this foreign ninja and easily knocked him out, dragging him back to the clearing. 

Cell 7 was standing there, clearly awaiting my return. I dropped the ninja at their feet and sighed, putting my hands on my hips. "Things just got 20 times more difficult, didn't they......?"

 

After both ninjas were tied up and restrained, we all just kinda stared at how pitiful they looked.

Kinda sad.

Once our pity party was held, Sakura and the others freaked out and started to parade Kakashi with questions of why he 'faked his death' and 'why he left them',

Rip Kakashi-Sensei.

Things got sorted out, and it took absolutely forever. But once it was over, we went on our merry way.

Please don't make me stay with them any longer......

 

**The Hidden Mist Village**

 

I was stuck on a boat with them.

A boat.

Faith can't stay 10 feet away from the cell if she's on a stupid boat.

Which meant that I had to sit right next to everybody and try not to kill them.

Which was very difficult.

"Wow, look at all of this fog!!" Naruto exclaimed, leaning dangerously close to the edge.

I looked over at him and attempted to push him over the side, but Kakashi didn't approve.

I had a silent argument with Kakashi, and he still told me that I shouldn't.

I did anyway.

Naruto went over the side of the boat and landed right in the water. I was too busy laughing and trying to avoid an angry Kakashi, who was attempting to scold me.

Once Naruto got back onto the boat, there was a new wave of laughter, as he glared daggers my direction. We had a childish argument that was only ended once we reached our destination.

"So, now what?" I asked. "What exactly are we supposed to do?" 

There was a second of hesitation before, "Well, we're gonna protect him until his project is done."

 

"I didn't sign up for this."

"You don't really have a choice."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that as long as you are here with my cell, I am your teacher. Especially since you don't even have your own cell---"

I dropped to the ground on my hands and knees, crying like an idiot. "YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO GO THAT FAR!!" I exclaimed, with the comical squiggly tears.

Mr. Tazuna looked as if he had a few regrets, at this point.

I finally had gotten my act together, and we were leading Mr. Tazuna back towards his house. I was looking around at all of the scenery when out of nowhere, a sword came flying out of the forest and had lodged itself into a tree not far from us. 

And, unfortunately for us, things were about to go tumbling downhill.


	5. Demon Swordsman

"And just when I had started to have fun," I muttered, looking up at the sword. The sword stayed there for a bit before an unfamiliar ninja appeared, standing on top of it. He chuckled a little, and it kinda showed me that we were in for a bad time.

"Excuse me, sir," I stated, sighing in annoyance, "We're just on our way to drop off this kind, old sir, so, if you wouldn't mind, could you let us continue on our merry way?" 

Yeah...

That's not gonna happen.

He yanked the sword out of the tree and landed on the ground. He lifted up his sword and pointed it in our direction.

"Seems that Mr. Tazuna has got quite the team of bodyguards." The stranger chuckled, an evil chuckle, and eyed each of us up and down, and only stopped when he noticed Kakashi.

I looked over at Kakashi too, wondering why he was looking at him. Did he have something on his face?

Kakashi squinted at the newcomer, and they had a glare fest. He then turned his head slightly to address us all. "Guys, position yourselves. This is Zabuza Momochi: The Demon of the Hidden Mist... One of the Seven Ninja Swordsman..."

Zabuza watched all of us with curiosity. What was he planning to do?

And then he lunged.

Of course, he was going for Mr. Tazuna, but he was still lunging for us, which was slightly terrifying.

"Everyone, just worry about keeping Mr. Tazuna safe! I'll take care of Zabuza!" Kakashi exclaimed, going forward to meet Zabuza in the middle.

We took our positions and watched the fight between our teacher and a fuckin' demon swordsman. There wasn't much that we could do; we would only get in the way.

The fight was never-ending. There were moments when you thought one had the other, but then it turned out to be a lie. There was simply no end to their fight. 

Zabuza, getting tired of the repeats, used hand signs to create mist everywhere.

Welp.

Guess I'll die. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

So, Zabuza had disappeared, and Kakashi was looking around for him with his Sharingan eye, while we all just waited for our deaths.

And then he reappeared.

Right behind me.

I turned quickly, only to see a sword about to be slammed into my face. Thankfully, even though I had a kunai to try and protect myself, Kakashi knocked it out of the way anyways. Zabuza stumbled back a bit, but quickly recovered, jumping back and gripping his sword tightly.

"I'm starting to think this mission may be a tad higher than C rank..." I muttered, looking at Sakura and making eye contact. She nodded nervously as if she agreed, and turned to watch Kakashi fight Zabuza.

Their battle was intense. There were no more words for it. Weapons flying back and forth, signs to use special jutsu were being weaved in no time. Back and forth they fought and there was nothing we mere students could do about it.

I was told not to interfere. Which I haven't. But it makes me think, 'what has all of my training been for then...?' I looked down at the kunai in my right hand and thought about everything that had led to this moment.

Was I really not worthy of being here?

 

**Flashback**

 

_And... How old are you...?_

My feet. That's all I could stare at. Nothing could hide my shame.

A student of the stupid ninja academy, who was nothing more than a bully, decided to pick on me. For weeks at a time, there was poking and snickering as he made fun of anything that came to mind.

So, I burned him.

Nothing serious of course, but it was still enough to get me chewed out by some jonin.

"How old are you?" The jonin asked again, a little louder this time.

I muttered a small, "ten, sir..." and fidgeted nervously under his judging gaze.

The scolding that I was expecting didn't come. In fact, there was nothing at all.

Why was he silent?

Of course, it's only human nature that you want to know the unknown, so while this man was in utter silence, I looked up to get answers.

He didn't look angry.

He looked surprised.

"You're ten?" He asked in confusion. I nodded and looked at him with my own confusion as he took my arm and dragged me off.

Apparently, what I had done wasn't normal, and was rarely seen in children my age, so I was sent to see the Hokage.

The Hokage seemed a little astounded but was still happy nonetheless. He started to talk to me about how I managed to burn the jerk.

"So, I haven't seen you around much. Are you a genin? Training with the teachers, I assume---"

"I'm not in school, sir."

"You... You aren't?"

"No, sir..."

He raised his eyebrows, as if confused and amazed, but he didn't lose his cool. He continued to ask questions, which I answered to the best of my abilities. But one stood out the most.

"I know this is sudden, but can I test your abilities? I think you have the perfect strength to become a chunin."

 

**Present Time**

 

_Why did I refuse?_

I had the choice. To be among strong ninja and make something of myself. To do something that might finally earn me respect.

But I turned it down.

I turned it down.

But... That doesn't mean I don't have strength.

I looked down to the kunai once more, before throwing it with all my might at Zabuza.

It made contact.

And boy was I screwed.

The kunai hit him in the shoulder, but the wound didn't stop him. In fact, it merely angered him.

Zabuza turned his head and looked at me with a dangerous glint in his eye.

I'm dead.

I'm SOOOO dead.

He plucked out the kunai and tossed it to the ground as if it were nothing more than a tiny toothpick.

And he ran at me.

He ran at me and was a foot or two away before I actually reacted. Of course, my reaction wasn't very smart, but it did help a little.

I ducked.

I fucking ducked and he went over me.

Not completely though, because I grabbed his leg and caused him to trip.

The fatass flattened me.

He fucking landed on me.

He is a grown man.

And I am ten years old.

I was squished, but it wasn't for long because he jumped up and grabbed his sword. I kicked his sword away from him and decided to use my position on the ground to my advantage.

I kicked him in the groin.

He most certainly did NOT like that, just as I did NOT like the kick in the face I received, sending me backward.

"STUPID CHILD!!" he exclaimed, holding his crotch in pain and completely ignoring Kakashi. " WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU DO THAT, YOU DUMB BITCH--"

"--YOU SQUISHED ME, YOU ASSHOLE, DON'T YELL AT ME FOR GETTING PAYBACK! THAT WAS ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT!"

"HOW DARE YOU---" but he was cut off as Kakashi aimed a swipe at Zabuza's legs.

Zabuza went down and flopped around for a second, angrily, and we couldn't help but stare.

"Umm, what are you doing?" I asked, tilting my head in confusion. He still appeared to be flopping, but I got my answer pretty quick when I heard movement behind me.

It was a water doppelganger.

He was behind me.

I turned to look, but that only resulted in getting my torso sliced open by a sword. It hurt like hell. That's all there was to it. I could feel blood oozing out of my chest and stomach, and to be honest, it wasn't pretty.

Zabuza chuckled as if amused, and growled, "It's funny how you think I'll be stopped by something as childish as that."

I was having a hard time understanding him; all of his words were jumbled and sounded like some strange language. I could hear everyone in cell 7 muttering their strange language as well as I fell to the ground. 

But this time...

I didn't get back up.


	6. We All Die Anyway, Right?

**Third Person P.O.V.**

 

Faith fell to the ground, down for the count, and probably for the rest of her life.

Her adoptive cell was yelling in worry at her, as the menacing Zabuza Momochi of the Hidden Mist stood over her with his sword. 

Kakashi glared daggers at Zabuza and attempted to remain calm. It was extremely difficult, but unless he did, his new cell would simply fall apart. "Zabuza! Leave the students alone! It's me who you need to fight!! Why take the life of a child?!"

Cell 7 was getting nervous. Naruto was looking at the ground, where his old friend lay, gone. Sasuke was shaking, out of fear for his life, and fear of what was to come. Sakura had completely lost it. Tears were streaming down her face, unable to stop themselves as she stared at her fallen comrade.

Zabuza chuckled, for the one-hundredth time, and pointed his sword at the silver-haired ninja. "For fun." He stated simply, without a care in the world.

And it continued.

The endless fighting, ninja versus ninja. A never-ending battle.

Kakashi's movements were slower than before; his Sharingan was tiring him out quicker than he'd like to admit. But Zabuza hadn't gone down yet. He had to continue.

It seemed impossible to stop him. After he had sliced open the child, it seemed he had grown stronger. He was quicker and more fierce with this sword.

Making sure that Kakashi and Zabuza were occupied, Naruto ran toward his fallen comrade and froze.

It was worse than he thought.

There was more blood than he thought.

This isn't what he thought.

Sakura and Sasuke had run over, with Tazuna following close behind, wanting to see for themselves.

They had made a mistake.

Sakura took one look at Faith, with a puddle of blood forming rather quickly underneath her, and froze. Her hands instantly went to cover her nose and mouth as she made a small, rather weak gasp.

Sasuke didn't freak out or make any unnecessary noises. But his eyes, they went super wide, thinking about how merciless this swordsman was. He murdered their comrade. She was ten. Zabuza didn't care about age.

They could all die.

Out of nowhere, there was a pained grunt, as Kakashi was kicked in the direction of the river. He seemed fine, as in, not dead, as he resurfaced and gasped for air.

The water was strangely heavy to him, as he fought to stay up. Water didn't normally feel this way, did it?

Zabuza had leaped towards him, to fight him on the water, which wasn't good. This terrain would only help Zabuza, for he had plenty of water at his disposal now. There had to be a way out of this...

Sakura, trying to calm her trembling hands, bent down to feel for a pulse. She placed her fingers on her cold teammate's neck, only to confirm her fears.

There was no pulse.

Sakura was frozen in place. What else could she do? You can't simply revive the dead. Which is what Faith was. Dead.

Sasuke, who no longer wished to look at the unmoving body, had turned to see Kakashi trapped, in a water prison.

While Naruto, on the other hand, had stopped. Literally. He had stopped breathing. He wasn't thinking properly. Faith was dead. The only thing that he could think about was how he had left her that day, alone and sad because he couldn't be kinder. The way she had looked as he left. The way all of her happiness was drained. That's the only thing he could think about. And he didn't get the chance to apologize. He had to deal with his guilt.

She was gone.

And he broke down.

It was so painful, to know that he wasn't able to apologize. He could have said sorry. He could have taken her out for ramen with Iruka-Sensei. He could have introduced her to cell 7 himself. He could have let her know.

Let her know she wasn't alone.

But it was no longer an option.

She was no longer here.

Unable to hold back, he cried. He let his tears show, and he didn't even try to stop them. And it took awhile. There were so many tears to spill. So many memories.

It took him awhile, but he stopped. He stopped crying. Drying his eyes, he stood and growled, "Sasuke, follow my lead."


	7. Surprise Mothafucka!

Naruto had a plan and a damn good plan at that. He wasn't going to let Faith's death be for nothing. He would get revenge. He would make it up to her by taking Zabuza down. It was up to him.

Naruto took his weapon out of his bag and glared at Zabuza.

"YOU KILLED MY FRIEND!!" he exclaimed, tossing the shuriken to Sasuke. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, YOU STUPID MUMMY!!!!" Naruto was trying his absolute best not to let the Nine-Tailed Fox out. He didn't need things to get too extreme...

Sasuke readied himself and went over the plan in his head. But just as he went to throw the shuriken, something happened.

Something wrong.

Something very terrifying.

Sakura had abandoned Faith, not entirely, but she needed to carry out this mission. She had taken her stance, to protect Tazuna, but it didn't seem necessary anymore.

Faith was alive.

And she didn't look too happy.


	8. Is It Dead?

This son of a bitch.

This mother-fucking-cock-sucking-cousin-humping-asshole.

My guts are literally spilling out right now.

I was standing right behind him, with his sword, cutting through his stomach. He didn't like it, clearly, and coughed up blood.

I made an inhuman growl and managed to grumble, "yeah, being sliced open doesn't feel too great, does it?" After giving a small grunt, I ripped the sword out of his stomach, which must have fuckin' hurt, because he lost his concentration and released Kakashi-Sensei.

So, Kakashi was free, Zabuza was bleeding, I was alive, and Cell 7 kinda sorta looked really confused.

"WHAT THE HELL, I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!!!" Naruto exclaimed. 

"I CHECKED YOUR PULSE!!" Sakura exclaimed as well.

"Oh, my pulse?" I asked, "Yeah, even the doctors have problems findin' that, sorry."

"Y-YOU WERE COLD!!" Sasuke exclaimed, finally speaking up.

"Cold? Oh yeah, I have bad circulation, I get really cold sometimes. And have you seen this weather? Geez, it's freezing..."

...............

Cell7.exe has stopped working.

Naruto thought about it all and let it sink in. And then, "WAIT, DOES THAT MEAN---"

"Mean what?"

"YOU SERIOUSLY LET US ALL CRY OVER YOU AND YOU WASN'T EVEN DEAD?! THAT'S WRONG, YA KNOW?!?!" Naruto shouted. He was upset but relieved in a way. She wasn't dead, so..........now he could apologize, right?

I was standing on Zabuza, who was underwater. He was trying to resurface, and I wouldn't let him. Each time he'd try coming up, I'd let him get enough air, and push him back under.

Kakashi had gotten up and was standing on the water a few feet away. He watched as I teased Zabuza and put his headband over his Sharingan. 

"I suppose you can handle the rest?" He asked.

"Of course." Was my simple response.

Zabuza was still underwater, kinda drownin', so I decided to let him up.

This bitch leaped out of the water, completely angry, and tried ripping my leg off. He failed, of course, but I had to jump back.

"YOU LITTLE---" He started to say before I interrupted him.

"Zabuza! Stop this!" I exclaimed, putting my hand over my own headband. "Or you'll leave me no choice!"

He growled and glared at the headband covering my left eye. "You seriously think I'm going to fall for that again?!" He questioned, "Your cell and their stupid Sharingan! Well, I'm not falling for that again!" He placed his hand on his bleeding stomach, trying not to fall over from the dizziness.

We were both bleeding.

But HE didn't stab MY organs.

"Zabuza, what's under my headband is far more dangerous than a Sharingan. If you don't back off, I will show no mercy." The words of warning continued having a hard time penetrating this idiot's thick skull. I was trying to warn him. I really was.

Zabuza wasn't having any of it. He started weaving hand signs at a certain speed and shouted, "WATER DRAGON JUTSU!!"

Oh. My. Death.

The water around him started moving in a clockwise rotation before it started to morph into a deadly looking dragon. 

I just continued to stare at the formation of the dragon, wondering what exactly to do to counter it.

Thinking fast, I released the chakra that was holding me above the water, and fell, creating a splash. I had to try my best not to drown, as Zabuza's water dragon exploded on the water, making it difficult to stay even remotely near him.

He gave a small chuckle, seeing that I hadn't resurfaced. "Well, guess she wasn't so tough after all, eh....?" And with that, he started to walk towards the ground, advancing towards Cell 7.

I was swimming. Wasn't as fun as I had thought it would be, but I still managed. Zabuza had no idea, so why not? I used all of my remaining strength to heave myself out of the water, trying to be as silent as possible. Cell 7 had caught on to my plans and intended to help me out.

With Zabuza's back facing me, and a kunai in my hand, I started to run towards him, going for the attack........

Dead.

Wait, what?

I stood very still, kunai in hand, wondering why he had suddenly dropped to the ground. It didn't take long to notice the two metal needles sticking out of his neck.

Acupuncture needles.

Something in my head was telling me that this was wrong and that I should still go for the kill, but my hand didn't agree. It dropped to my side as I stared at his unseeing eyes.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I heard a rustling in the trees. My eyes quickly darted to the source. There was a..... child? He seemed a few years older than me, his hair in a bun, with the rest dropping to the sides of his face, which was covered with a mask. He was wearing a teal green robe as he held more acupuncture needles in his hands, ready to take Zabuza down if need be.

I kept staring at this stranger until Naruto had started to shout. I quickly darted my eyes to his direction, only to find Kakashi trying to calm him down. Naruto was pretty worked up, which wasn't much different than normal, but he seemed a little shaken up as well.

In fact, the entire cell did. Beads of sweat were dripping down Sasuke's face, all while he continued to maintain his neutral face. Sakura's breath was ragged as if she was having a hard time managing. She had her hands clasped together nervously, hoping that this was truly the end of this fight. And taking one look at Naruto, who had shouted like a fool, seemed bothered, maybe even disturbed, that someone as young as this stranger was able to deal with Zabuza himself.

I turned my own gaze to this stranger, who had disappeared, only to reappear in front of me, lifting Zabuza off of the ground. I gave him a questionable look, wondering why he had done such a thing. I didn't think about it for too long though, because this stranger disappeared and Kakashi slumped over, exhausted.

"I...... Overused the Sharingan......." He muttered, lying face first on the ground. We all just kinda stared down at him, not really knowing what to do with him.

Being the idiot I am, I just collapsed beside him, landing on my back and exhaling dramatically. "Oh nooooooooo~!" I exclaimed, "I'm dying~!"

He glared over at me with his normal eye, showing me that I was successful in annoying him to hell and back. "Oh, shut it." He muttered, making no attempt to move.

"You really have no reason to complain, idiot." He didn't really like my name-calling, but I continued anyway. "I just got sliced open, and I'm still breathing."

There was a moment of silence.

No one moved.

And then.........

"OH MY GOD, THAT'S RIGHT, SHE'S BLEEDING!!"

"SHE NEEDS A DOCTOR!!"

Of course, Naruto and Sakura would be the ones to overdo it, and of course, just as you would see in anime, I started spitting out a fountain of blood, with tears shooting out of my eyes. Naruto and Sakura were running in circles around me, freaking out and causing me to worry even more.


	9. Crazy Lady

"I don't wanna---"

"Faith, you aren't allowed to move or you'll reopen the wound!"

Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter was trying to speak some sense to me, but I didn't like the thought of being still for so long. I had to lay on the floor, covered in blankets, next to Kakashi, as everyone stared at us, and made me feel like exhibits in a museum.

"But Tsunami, You don't understand!" I exclaimed, attempting to sit up, only to be shoved back down by her foot to my face. She glared down at me, with a look of pure death and shouted, "DON'T MOVE!!!"

I lie completely still after that and tried to hide my anime squiggly tears, while Tsunami spoke kind words to the rest of the cell.

As everyone was talking together, a door to our left opened and a little boy stood there, before rushing over to Tazuna. "Grandpa!" The child exclaimed, hugging his grandfather as much as he could. Tazuna looked happily down at the small child, and happily exclaimed, "Well, if it isn't little Inari!"

Inari?

Tsunami had turned to see Inari, so I used my arm to try and lift myself up, only to have it fall down. I didn't even have the strength to lift myself right.

My movement made the child turn to address us. "Grandpa, who are these people?"

"These are the ninja that brought your old man back safely!"

I raised a hand to wave, only for Tsunami to stomp on it. There was the comical 'YELP!' as she had a fire in her eyes. "I TOLD YOU, NO MOVING!!!!!"

This lady was going to be the cause of my death.

Seriously.

Bringing my throbbing hand back to my side, I pulled the blankets over my head and sobbed, earning questionable looks from the others.

This wound wasn't gonna kill me.

This crazy fucking lady was.


	10. Why Am I Stupid?

Kakashi was allowed to move.

I wasn't.

FUCKING KAKASHI WAS ALLOWED TO MOVE.

I WASN'T.

NOT ONLY THAT BUT HE TOOK THE ENTIRE CELL OUT FOR TRAINING.

HE HAD FUCKING CRUTCHES AND SHIT, BUT I WASN'T ALLOWED TO MOVE AT ALL.

"Umm, Faith?" Kakashi asked, stabbing me with one of his crutches. "I'm taking Naruto and the others out to train. Don't cause trouble." 

"EXCUSE ME?!?!?!?!?!"

My head popped out of my blanket and I glared at him angrily. "YOU'RE TAKING THEM OUT FOR TRAINING, BUT NOT ME?!?!"

"Uhh, yes?" 

"WHAT?!?!"

"That's what I just said, didn't I.....?"

I flailed on the floor, only to regret it. The deadly pain shooting throughout my body pretty much explained why he didn't invite me to tag along. I was just dead weight.

"You're in no condition to be moving. Plus, it's something you have control over anyway."

I grumbled angrily, still hurting, and mumbled, "Get your disabled self away from me......." I faceplanted the floor, rolling back up in my blanket, which hurt like hell.

Kakashi rolled his eyes and left, leaving me alone. I just kinda lay there until I heard tiny footsteps coming to my direction.

My head lifted up, only to come face to face with the little boy, Inari.

"Why are you still lyin' there?" He asked, staring at my blankets.

"Well, Naruto and the others went to go and train. I wasn't allowed to go, because of my injury......." I rolled over on my back, leaning my head back to look up at him.

Inari took one more look at my blankets before sitting down. "How'd you get hurt like that.....?" He asked in curiosity.

"Well," I started, "Before we got here, we got into this fight with a super dangerous ninja."

He listened closely, hanging on to my every word.

"He had a super sharp sword and all, and he used such powerful jutsu. He was so strong, even Kakashi-Sensei had to use his Sharingan eye to fight."

"That sounds scary!"

"It was...... He had his sword, and he sliced my torso open when I had attempted to join the fight. I lost consciousness for a little bit, and everyone thought I was dead."

His little eyes widened. "They thought you were dead?!?! .................What happened next??"

"Well, I'm not sure what had exactly happened, since I was out of it... But when I woke up, Kakashi-Sensei was trapped in some water bubble, and everyone seemed absolutely terrified." I looked up at the ceiling for a moment, before sitting up painfully, turning his direction. I gave a small smile, and thumbs up, and continued. "I helped out a smidge and the battle was won."

Inari looked up at me in fascination, his mouth agape. He was gonna say something, until.........

"Inari!! Can you come here? I need your help for a moment!"

Inari turned his head towards the sound of his mother's voice, only to hop up quickly. "Thanks for the story, miss!" He exclaimed happily.

"No problem," I replied.

He dashed off towards his mother, leaving me in silence once more. There was nothing for me to do; I was supposed to be lying down.

Ignoring the pain, I stood from the floor and headed for the door. Perhaps I could go for a short walk. Or maybe even stop by the training session. Either way, I had to do something more than lying on the ground.

 

**After an Hour**

 

Oh, my shuriken.

My legs were fine.

It's not like I was out of breath but damn, my chest was killing me.

I was slumped against a tree, trying not to die as I held my chest in pain. Why was it hurting this bad? Shouldn't it at least feel a LITTLE better? Why did it feel like it was getting worse?

Pondering this pain wasn't making it feel better. It was actually making me dizzy. I slid down to the ground, trying to stop the pain in my chest somehow. Nothing seemed to be working. Thinking about it, it seemed like a really bad idea to leave in the first place. 

Trying to shift my thoughts to something else, I raised my head up towards the sky, getting a small glimpse of the beautiful blue sky through the bright green leaves of the many trees.

 

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

 

"ARGHHH!" I kicked the stump of the tree angrily, mad that I still wasn't able to climb the stupid thing properly. Sakura was able to. So why couldn't I?! 

I turned my angry gaze to Sasuke and his tree, only to see the slash marks on his tree were farther than mine.

I growled audibly and stomped my foot. "THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!!"

Sasuke, who had just jumped down from another attempt, turned his head to look at me and glared. "Maybe if you'd stop running your mouth so much, you could start running up the tree." He rolled his eyes, placing his hands in his pockets.

"Well, EXCUSE ME---" I was going to continue my rant, but Sakura kicked me over, causing me to faceplant the ground.

"DON'T YOU DARE YELL AT SASUKE!!"

..............................

I flailed on the ground for a moment or two before pushing myself up, spitting out a mouthful of dirt. 'Grrr! Stupid Sasuke! Thinks he's so cool! I'll show him!!'

 

**Faith-Sama P.O.V.**

 

 

I must have passed out because when I awoke, I was still under the tree, but it was dark and eerie.

 

My head was pounding. I should head back to Mr. Tazuna's place.......

Using the trees for support, I made my way through the forest, trying my best to find my way back. It was super difficult since I could barely see the ground, and I had wandered aimlessly earlier.

I didn't know the way back.

I traced my hand over my headband and thought about where to go. Left? Right? Straight ahead? Or was I walking the wrong direction in the first place?

SNAP!

My head turned quickly towards the source of the noise, as my right hand instinctively jumped to my pouch. Wait..........

Where's my pouch?

I pat my legs, wondering where it could've been. Did I drop it? What if this was someone trying to attack? I didn't have my weapons! 

And then it hit me.

I had left them at the house.

I clenched my fists, prepared to fight. Or..............

Footsteps could be heard approaching as I waited in my hiding spot, on a low tree branch. It was the best I could manage, in my condition.

I waited for my chance to strike........

A foot had stepped out from the tall grass, and I didn't waste a single second in my attack.

I dropped down, right on the person's back.

"--Where are yoooooooooou?! You need to-- AHHHHHHHHH!!!"

I grabbed the person and trapped their arms behind them, only to regret it.

"AHHH!! WHAT THE HECK?! I'M JUST A BOY, YA KNOW?!?!" 

"N-Naruto?!" I asked in disbelief. "Wh-What are you doing here?!"

He was still squirming around, bothered by the fact that he couldn't move his arms. Once I realized, I released him, and he rubbed his now sore arms. "I came to get you! Everyone has been searching for you, ya know?" He stretched his arms out, finally placing them behind his head. "Everyone was worried that you had been captured or something since Kakashi-Sensei suspects Zabuza is still alive." He turned his head away from me slightly, his face contorting into a face of idiotic disbelief. "But it seems as if you had simply run away, like an idiot......."

That got my attention.

"Okay, FIRST OF ALL, I am NOT an idiot!" I sighed and rubbed my neck, calming myself down a bit before, "And secondly................. Everyone thought I had run away?" 

"Well, yeah. We thought that Zabuza may have kidnapped you, or that you had gotten fed up with being bedridden or somethin'." He hesitated a moment before asking, "...................... Did you run away?"

I blinked several times in surprise. Were they really THAT convinced that I had run away......? Kidnapped was understandable, but, seriously? I continued to look at him in disbelief. "I'm not some fed up coward who would run away, mate. I thought you knew that."

Naruto took a few seconds to let my words sink in, before giving a huge grin, with his eyes closed. "Heh heh! Yeah, you're right, Faith." Naruto stopped for a moment to process the situation, until........... "ACK!! WAIT! EVERYONE IS STILL SEARCHING FOR YOU!!!!!!!" He grabbed my arm and dragged me after him. The pain in my chest was increased, but I tried my best to ignore it. I mean, I don't think they need to worry any more than necessary, right?

Right?

I staggered along after him, holding my stomach in pain. It was starting to become unbearable, but, of course, I wasn't going to say anything.

Naruto would look back at me every so often, just to see if I was able to keep up. I tried to continue smiling, to let him think I was okay, but eventually, he saw through it.

"Faith.....? Is something wrong?" He asked, slowing to a stop. I stayed silent, not trusting what my mouth would say. I merely nodded an, 'I'm okay' look, to try and allow us to continue back.

He wasn't fooled.

"Erm, Faith, you seem to be sick or somethin'. Do you need to take a break?"

"N-No... I'm........ I'm fine...... Th-Thanks anyways........ Naruto......." I faked a smile and gave him a thumbs up. "Let's just......... Get back......."

He hesitated a moment before giving a small nod. "Alright...... If you're sure......" Before we could get moving again, we heard a rustle in the bushes. Naruto instantly moved his hand to his pouch and pulled out a kunai. "Who's there?!"

It took a moment, but a person stepped out, revealing themselves.

It was Sakura.

"Naruto! Faith! It's you two!" She exclaimed, looking at the both of us. "We've been looking all over for you!" Her eyes lingered on me, indicating the person she was speaking about.

"Yeah! I found her over there!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing a finger in the direction that we had run from. "She tried to jump me, at first, but I fought her off---"

"No, you didn't............."

I may be dying, but there's no way in hell I'm letting him get away with this.

".................. Did too...."

Oh hell no.

"No....... Liar......"

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S LYING, YOU LIAR! ADMIT IT, I HAD YA PINNED!"

"WTF, NO, I JUMPED DOWN FROM A TREE, THINKING YOU WERE AN ENEMY, AND LANDED ON YOUR BACK! I HAD YOUR ARMS BEHIND YOUR HEAD!!" 

"............... THAT'S NOT TRUE!" He looked at Sakura desperately, trying to seem cool.

"THAT IS TR----"

Cough.

COUGH.

Two coughs happened at the same time.

One was filled with impatience, from a certain silver-haired ninja.

One was from a wounded Faith, who was not supposed to be outside in the first place. It sounded terrible and felt terrible too. But, the worst part...

It was full of blood.


	11. I'm Such An Idiot

The dark red blood stained my hand easily, mixing with the little bit of excess saliva.

Blood.

That's all I saw.

You'd think it wouldn't be that big of a deal.

A hand landed on my shoulder, and my head instantly turned their direction. "Faith....... You okay....?" Naruto asked, his voice filled with worry.

I was going to nod but was interrupted by more coughs. They were getting worse.

"Faith, did you reopen the wound?" Kakashi asked, stepping over to me. There wasn't much to answer with. I had the taste of blood in my mouth, and I was afraid to speak.

I have a simple shrug, trying my best not to cough. The taste of my own blood wasn't helping my stomach. I looked down at my shirt, to see if there was any blood.

Only a little.

But it could get worse.

"W-Well..... Yeah....... It's..... Open....."

Oh great.

I'm gonna die.

 

**3rd P.O.V. MISTAKES**

 

It had taken a little while, but Kakashi had safely gotten back his entire cell. Sasuke was as emotionless as ever, Naruto was looking at Faith in worry, seeming as if he had something to say, Sakura was trying to comfort everyone, at the same time as trying to get Sasuke's attention, with Faith a bleeding mess on Kakashi's back.

Good enough.

Finally reaching Mr. Tazuna's house, the ninja strolled in and made their location known to the household. Tsunami was cooking supper for everyone, with little Inari's assistance. As soon as Tsunami caught sight of Faith, she lost it. She somehow managed to gain her composure, without killing Faith off.

Dinner was served and Faith was bandaged up. Unfortunately, Faith wasn't able to eat, due to her unconsciousness, but other than that, everything was taken care of.

As everyone had laid down, ready to go to bed, a certain ninja had sat up, thinking about what he didn't say.

Naruto.

Why didn't he say sorry when he had the chance?

Questions such as these filled his mind as he turned onto his side. It seemed that every time he wanted to apologize, Faith was out like a light. Did he not have the guts to do it? Nah......... That couldn't be it. Naruto Uzumaki was no coward!

Maybe........ He was afraid of rejection......?

What if she denies it?

And shuns him?

What if she starts to treat him like everyone else? 

No, she wouldn't do that........ She was kind. Funny. She wouldn't want to hurt anyone like that. They were friends for so long.

Would she reject him?

He continued to lie under his covers for a while longer until he sighed and pulled the blankets over his head. His head was beginning to throb from all of the unnecessary thinking that he was doing. He'll come up with a solution in the morning.

 

**......What?**

 

The morning had come and everyone was awake but Faith. People were stumbling around, rubbing their eyes, and getting ready for the day ahead. Naruto and Sasuke were devouring their breakfast; they didn't want to lose any time for training. Sakura was ready to head out to protect Mr. Tazuna as he continued to build the bridge. Kakashi was working on gaining his strength back, doing push-ups and sit-ups to ready himself for the possible fight.

 

Faith was sleeping.

She would barely move; the only movement to be seen was the steady rising and falling of her chest.

At least she's alive.


	12. Dreams

Darkness.

Everywhere.

What am I doing here?

Am I alive?

It felt as if I was floating around in emptiness. Surrounded by nothing in particular. Darkness was surrounding me, and there was nothing I could look at.

And then.....?

A light.

It was very small and faint, but it still caught my attention. It was the only thing I had here. Knowing this, I attempted to move closer to the source of light. But it seemed that the closer I got, the brighter it got. My eyes hadn't adjusted yet to the sudden shine, but when they did, I wasn't in the darkness anymore.

I was in the leaf village.

I took a look around me, taking in all of the wonderful sights. This place was beautiful. People were walking around while chatting happily amongst themselves. Children were running around with each other, playing games.

But, they didn't notice me.

I walked in front of several ninjas merely by accident, bumping into a few as I pushed through the crowds. It seemed like they didn't know I was there at all.

Pushing the thoughts aside, I made my way towards Ichiraku Ramen, curious to see if Naruto and Iruka were around.

Empty.

I headed back towards the training fields, hoping to see someone I know.

Nothing.

None.

Nobody.

It was strange, seeing the village act this way. They treated me as if I didn't exist, which was completely different than how I was treated normally.

Was this......

Better than before........?

I mean, I wasn't being treated like trash. No yelling and fussing. No pushing and shoving. No looks of hate.

Yet again, I tried forgetting about it so that I could continue my search for my friends. But no matter how hard I continued to search, they all seemed to have disappeared. Something had to have happened. Something important. Leaving that within my thoughts, I headed for the Hokage's mansion.

People continued to ignore me on my way to the mansion. They acted as if they could see through me. Like I was merely a ghost of the past.

Was this all I really was?

I rushed the rest of the way, eager to see what was going on. Where had everyone gone? Was it a mission? Why wasn't I involved? These questions continued to flow through my head, and I wanted them answered.

I knocked lightly on the door, lightly at first, but once I realized I heard whispering, I knew something was up. This wasn't any of my business. I could wait------

".............Faith.........gone........kill?"

My name?

They had to be talking about someone else. But, still curious, I pressed my ear to the door.

"She's a monster. She needs to be removed as soon as possible." The Hokage stated. There were murmurs of agreement within the room as my eyes widened in shock.

 _'What?'_ I thought to myself, _'Why would they want to kill me? What did I do?'_

I was trapped in my thoughts, so of course, I didn't hear the footsteps approaching the door. I only realized someone was there when the door was suddenly opened and I was caught like a deer in headlights.

I was fucked.

Everyone in the room had their eyes widened in surprise...... No... Fear. They stared in shock at my presence and a few even moved their hands to their weapons. The Hokage even stood up from his chair with his hands on the desk to support himself.

I was bothered by the fact that everyone saw me as a monster that needs to be executed. But that's not what bothered me the most.

_It was cell 7 and Team Guy._


	13. Dreamland

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

 

I had woken up this morning, ready to apologize to Faith. I had thought about what I should say while I was eating breakfast. But again, it was another wasted effort. She was out cold. I went over to where she was sleeping and thought about waking her up, but I just let her sleep. She was injured and needed as much strength as possible when Zabuza returned.

Leaving Faith to rest, I rushed outside to ready myself for another day of training. I was gonna beat Sasuke! Believe it!

I lifted my spirits a little with my pep talk and prepared for another day of climbing trees.

 

**DREAMLAND**

 

I looked around the room at each individual person, wondering why they were speaking about my death.

Did I do something bad?

Did I hurt someone?

What did I do wrong?

These questions didn't seem as if they were going to get answered. With the looks of fear and hatred etched into their faces, I was probably going to be killed on the spot.

"...........Faith......" The Hokage trailed off, making direct eye contact. I held his gaze, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Yes, sir?" I questioned, looking away from him to look around at all of the people in the room. Kakashi and Might looked ready to attack at any moment. Sakura was hanging back; she didn't look like she was prepared to fight, but was ready to assist. Sasuke, Neji, and Tenten were ready as well. But what bothered me......

Naruto and Rock....... Looked so afraid. Of me. Of what was going to happen. They also looked........ Disappointed. And upset. Maybe let down is what I'm looking for. It was as if they were thinking back about each of our encounters and how well we got along. Now, all of that was going to shit. And I didn't even know why.

I locked eyes with Rock, and my gaze saddened. Whatever had happened was serious, and both of us were going to regret it.

"Why did you come back?" Sarutobi-San asked, sliding his hands off of the desk, and moving them to their usual location: behind his back. He straightened out and started to move so that he was standing in front of the desk.

My eyebrow raised itself in confusion. Left? Did I leave the village? Where the hell did I go?

"I wasn't aware that I left......." I muttered the response.

He blinked in disbelief and looked over at Kakashi and Might. "You...... Wasn't aware you left?"

I nodded a response and looked down at the floor. I wasn't sure what else I should do. What if I did leave? I don't remember anything. My gaze shifted around, looking at everyone's feet, not wanting to meet their eyes. What if they thought I was lying? What if they didn't believe me? 

Footsteps could be heard right in front of me. Sarutobi-San was walking towards me, and I knew that something was off.

He stopped right in front of me, not saying a word until I raised my head to look at him.

"You lie." He stated simply.

My eyes grew, filled with fear of what he was planning to do. Was he angry? He probably was........ Even I didn't know if I was lying or not. I had no idea what had gone on. Did something happen? I needed to know........

"Sir, I don't remember anything........"

My eyes trailed off to the side, not really feeling confident with what I was saying. No one was gonna believe what I was saying when I didn't even sound like _I believed it._

A small sigh.

That's all I heard.

I looked back at him and instantly regret it. He was staring at me, with uncaring eyes, and commanded--

"Kill."

And once again, I was left in darkness.


	14. Reassurance

Silence.

That's the only thing that filled the room.

Night time was among them, and Faith hadn't woken up once. Thankfully, she was still alive, but her state was beginning to worry the others. Zabuza was probably ready to attack, and now the cell was down a member. Were they going to leave her here, when the time came? Or should they wait for her to wake up? No one knew the answer at the moment, and they didn't have too much time to ponder it.

"K-Kakashi-Sensei......?" Sakura asked, trying to get her teacher's attention.

Kakashi was lost in thought, so he didn't exactly hear the young girl's question. He was a little busy thinking about the upcoming fight with Zabuza, and how things could possibly end up. Could this encounter end up worse than the last? Could they actually have someone die? He continued to stress himself out with these questions until he was pulled from his thoughts by Sakura.

She was waving a nervous hand in his face, getting tired of asking questions that received no response. "Kakashi-Sensei, what are we going to do....?" The question itself seemed impossible to answer. What were they going to do? Faith wouldn't wake up, he was worried about overusing the Sharingan while the fight was still intense, leaving his students alone. And he was worried about the strange masked boy.

Would they even make it out alive?

"Well, Sakura, I'm sure we'll think of something," Kakashi reassured the pink-haired kunoichi. "Every single one of you has improved, and I'm positive we'll take Zabuza down." He smiled at her and closed his visible eye along with it. Doing so seemed to calm Sakura down.

"Thank you, Sensei."

"No problem."

He wasn't really sure who he was trying to convince.

Sakura, or himself.


	15. Lab Rat

_**Squeak......** _

_**Squeak...............** _

_**Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeak.......** _

A light.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw a small, swinging lamp over my head. It was gray in color, much like the walls, which all seemed cold and unwelcoming.

I went to move my arms to lift myself up, only to find that they were strapped down. I did the same with my legs, only to see that they had the same problem.

I was trapped.

There was no way I was getting out of this mess, so I gave up trying and decided to try and get a glimpse of my surroundings.

There were no windows, and the only source of light in the room was the lamp above my head. Looking towards the doorway, I could see the door slightly ajar, and some mumbles could be heard. There was a red/orange tint to the outside, leading me to believe that candles were the source.

I turned my head back towards the swinging light and watched it sway. I was completely entranced by the light that I didn't notice the opening and closing of the door in the background.

"My, you're a small one, aren't you?"

My head snapped in the direction of the voice and saw a boy, not too old, perhaps 10-12 with large circular glasses, and silver hair kept back in a small ponytail. He looked down at a small clipboard and began to read off its contents. 

"Name: Faith, Age: 5, Occupation: None........" He looked at the clipboard and stared straight into both of my eyes directly.

Wait, both?

I blinked several times in confusion and gulped nervously.

"Hmm... I'm sure the left eye could work......" He looked back down at the clipboard and wrote something down rather quickly, before looking back up at my terrified expression. He smirked slightly and asked, "Are you scared?" My expression didn't change, which led to a small chuckle. "Hopefully, you'll be able to survive this. The past candidates haven't been so........Fortunate." And with that, he gave a grin and turned, exiting the room.

Alone.

Once more, I was left with nothing more than my own thoughts to keep me company. The strange boy didn't seem as if he was going to return anytime soon, so I closed my eyes, afraid of what was to come. 

There was another chuckle, leading me to open my eyes and look towards the doorway.

I know him.

He's the one who was gonna kill my family.

I struggled under the straps, but to no prevail. The man continued to inch closer, staring straight into my bastard soul with his snake-like eyes. He grinned, showing his sharp white teeth, only increasing my worries more.

He wasn't human.

And whatever he was planning, it wasn't gonna be pretty.

"Yes... Squirm around helplessly...... It's about time I've had some lively prey." His grin widened as he continued to stalk towards me, only stopping when he was right beside the table. He looked to a darkened corner for a moment, before he walked slowly towards it and grabbed the side of a table covered in medical tools. He moved it over to the table I was lying on and smirked.

"Try not to die."


	16. Mixed Emotions

**Third P.O.V.**

 

Tomorrow.

The fight with Zabuza was planned for tomorrow.

Everyone was ready. A shit ton of training was completed in order to prepare for the battle. Everyone had been trying their best to be as ready to kick some ass all week, and they were exhausted. 

With or without Faith, serious things were going down.

Naruto was still BEYOND worried. With the upcoming fight AND Faith in dreamland, Naruto wasn't sure if he'd be able to succeed. He was doubting himself, doubting his abilities, and he felt as if he had no one to vent it out on. What if he got everyone killed? What if HE was killed? The longer he was left with his thoughts, the more violent they became. Even with the little bit of time left, Naruto would still train. It would help him keep his mind off of all his problems.

And there were a lot of problems.

 

**THE LEAF VILLAGE** 3rd P.O.V.

 

"HIIIYAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

_Crack!_

Lee was training, as usual, and he had just managed to kick over a tree.

"WHOO! Did you see that, Guy-Sensei?!?!" He shouted happily, hopping up and down with his fists high in the air.

"Of course I did, Lee!! That was awesome!!" Might gave Lee a thumbs up of approval, with his signature grin. His white teeth sparkled, which only made Lee feel better about his accomplishment.

Lee looked back at the tree and smiled. "I can not wait until Faith gets back from her mission!" He exclaimed. "I will be able to show her my new jutsu!" He clenched his fist in determination.

Tenten, who was sitting on a rock not too far away, spoke up. "Yeah, maybe you'll actually take the lead for once."

Lee's face instantly went from a face of excitement to a face of annoyance. "I can do it!" He squinted at his teammate. "I have worked hard! I believe in my strength!!" 

Faith and Lee had a rivalry similar to that of Kakashi and Guy. They would compete, in several different ways, and it never seemed as if Lee could take the lead. They were almost ALWAYS tied. If not, then Faith had the lead. But this time would be different. He would take the lead!

Lee looked at the broken tree once more before muttering to himself, "Until then, Faith."

 

**The Home of a Crazy Lady**

 

Another day.

Another day had passed.

This was it.

All of the ninja, excluding Naruto and Faith, were ready to set out for Zabuza. Faith was still out from before, and Naruto needed to rest. With all of the training that they had done, he needed it. So, Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke all headed out to fight.

Things were going to get serious.


	17. Danger

"N-No......"

Blood.

"Not again......"

Everywhere.

"P-Please......"

Death.

"No........"

Again.

Once more, I was staring down at the bodies of my family. Their eyes were blank and glazed over, never to see the light of day again.

"You aren't worthy."

My eyes were widened in fear. The replay of what has happened that day was being repeated once more.

Orochimaru's footsteps could be heard walking through the puddles of blood, as he attempted to get closer.

I wasn't going to move. I had nothing to live for anymore.

There was silence once more as Orochimaru stopped moving. It was unsettling, knowing that this man had just murdered everything I had ever known TWICE, and he seemed unfazed by it all.

And then, out of nowhere, I felt his slim, cool fingers brush across my face, making my eyes widen even further. He cupped my chin and lifted my face to look into his yellow, snake-like eyes, as he had a small smirk on his face. "I give you this gift......." He trailed off, his gaze moving to my left eye for a moment. "..........And you don't even use it? Tsk........" He released my face with a little shove, making me fall back. With that, he stood up and looked down at their dead bodies. "You're just another failed experiment, child. It's sad to think that I went through all of that trouble just for you to be of no use." He tossed a bandage at my face and chuckled. "Use that for your eye."

I looked down at the bandage that he had tossed me and held it with my trembling hands. What had he done? Was all of this simply for a test? Was this some kind of sick joke?

There was more silence as these questions ran through my head. And once more, the silence was broken by Orochimaru's voice. "There still is one thing I could test......" He gave me an evil grin before trodding over to my mother's corpse and stomping on her harshly.

"S-STOP IT!" I shouted, clenching my hands around the bandage.

"What are you going to do about it, _orphan?"_

And just before everything went black once more, I swear Orochimaru muttered something like, _"Perfect."_

...................

_**"AHHHHHHHH!!!"** _

...................

_Crash!_

_**"Run, Inari!"** _

What?

_**"Hahahahahahaha!"** _

My eyes opened for the first time in a few days.

What a relief.

_Or, so I thought._


	18. Awakening

My eyes opened to reveal the ceiling of Mr. Tazuna's home. Realizing that both of my eyes had been opened, I closed the left one quick and sat up, looking around, mainly for my headband.

Did anyone see that?

No...

I placed my headband back over my eye, where it belongs. Just as I was about to let out a sigh of relief, I heard a shriek from the kitchen. And judging from the sounds of it, it seemed to be Tsunami.

_Tsunami? Is she okay?_

I stood up, with only a smidge of pain, and crept towards the kitchen only to find Tsunami cornered by two men, with little Inari peeking in through a different door. From the looks of it, it seemed as if she had made a deal with these guys so that she could spare her child as she was being led out of the house.

Inari stared at the kidnappers in fear, watching his mother being taken away. He looked inside the house, hoping to spot something he could use, before dashing out after them.

 _'Oh shit, what do I do?'_ I thought to myself, looking towards the exit. _'Do I help them?'_ I stood still for a moment, thinking it over, before 'dashing' out of the house after them.

"S-STOP!" I shouted, attracting the kidnappers, Tsunami and Inari's attention. Tsunami's and Inari's eyes widened in surprise, shocked that I was finally awake. "Let her go!"

The men chuckled at me, noticing that I was still somewhat in pain. "You?" One questioned, looking me up and down. "You're gonna stop us?" They both laughed at me, which made me feel like absolute garbage.

Oh HELL no.

Inari, noticing that I was starting to have my doubts, looked back towards these kidnappers. "No, I'LL stop you!" Inari shouted, running at them.

"Inari!!" Tsunami and I yelled simultaneously. Just as Inari lunged, my eyes shut in fear, expecting the worst.

But the worst never came.

With my eyes shut tight, afraid to see Inari in pieces, something other than Inari's death happened.

My eyes were still shut tight, and they didn't plan on getting open. As if I wanted to see a tiny boy chopped into pieces in front of me. NO.

"F-Faith?"

What?

That voice......

Naruto?!

I opened my eyes to see the idiotic blonde standing a few feet away, standing in front of Inari and the two bad guys, who were now tied up.

"Naruto?"

"You........ You're awake!"

I blinked several times. "Yeah, I am!"

The both of us continued to make awkward eye contact with one another in silence until it was broken by Inari. "Thanks, Naruto!" He exclaimed.

"No problem!"

I looked at the both of them and smiled happily. "So, where are the others at?" I asked, tilting my head.

Naruto's smile started to fade as he shouted, "CRAP, THAT'S RIGHT!! WE GOTTA GO, FAITH!! C'MON!!! And with that, he grabbed my arm and drug me after him.

"Umm, Naruto.......... " I started, trying my best to keep up. "Where exactly are we going?" We were currently running through a forest full of trees, and occasionally, I'd bump into a branch or the stump itself.

He didn't answer at first, as he seemed to be concentrating on where we were going. After a minute or so though, he answered. "The others are at the bridge, trying to fight Zabuza! I ain't getting left behind!" 

Zabuza?!

"If that's the case, then we definitely gotta hurry!" I exclaimed, dodging a random tree branch that was about to be slapped in my face.

We continued to run, and it all seemed never-ending. Zabuza was being fought as we speak. I was gonna get payback for what he did to my fucking chest. With Naruto leading the way, we eventually found our destination. I was about to run out and help when Naruto put his hand out in front of me.

"Wait just a second. I wanna do something first."

"Excuse me? We gotta go out there and help."

"Trust me!" He stated, pulling something out of his pocket, which strangely resembled firecrackers.

"Where the hell did you get those?!"

"I always carry them around with me. Duh." He looked down at them but didn't light them. "But uh........ Two things before we light these."

I tilted my head in confusion, hearing the distant fighting between Sasuke and the masked boy. Naruto's eyes were shifting all over the place as if he had a hard time finding words. He seemed nervous, and he had the sweat and increased heart rate to match.

"I uh...... I wanted to tell ya' something....." He stuttered, fidgeting nervously. Whatever he was fixin' to tell me had to be important because Naruto Uzumaki NEVER got nervous.

"What is it, Naruto?" I asked him, poking his cheek to try and lighten the mood.

He looked up at me for a moment before looking away. "I...... I'm sorry......" He muttered, refusing to make eye contact.

Is he apologizing? For what? He didn't do anything wrong...... I mean, unless he drew on my face while I was sleeping.....

"I don't understand----"

"I got mad at you that day...." He trailed off, looking down at the rest of the team. "I got mad and left you all alone..... A-And I've just kinda kept my distance ever since......" His gaze moved to the firecrackers in his hand. "I guess I was just worried that you'd hate me or somethin', ya' know? But in the end, I think I just made things worse.."

I was shocked. Naruto was so torn up over this, and so worried about my reaction that he decided to avoid me altogether. My gaze softened after it had all sunk in, and I ruffled his hair. _"Don't over think. Just let it go."_

He looked up at me, surprised, not knowing how to respond properly. He was having a hard time thinking of what to say; you could see it in his eyes. After a moment though, he smiled happily, and said, "Thanks, Faith."

"No problem," I responded, only to be scared out of my fucking mind when a kunai got knocked away from the fight and almost cut my fucking nose off. "N-N-Naruto... Can we move on to the second thing......?!"

"Oh right..... Uh... Can you light these?"

"What?!"

"Can you light the firecrackers?"

"OH MY GOD, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE IF I WASN'T AWAKE-----"

"-----I'm not getting any younger here."

I snatched the firecrackers from his hand and was about to light them when he grabbed my arm. "Not yet! Light them at the bridge!"

_JFC, kid, I'm not here to take orders from you._

We managed to jump down on the bridge without attracting attention when Naruto gave the signal to light the firecrackers.

 

I tossed them on the ground in front of us and managed (keyword: managed) to use a small fire jutsu (Do you know how hard it is to control these damn flames?!) to light them. They crackled and popped and created a huge cloud of smoke, disrupting the fight and attracting the attention of everyone.

Naruto and his stupid entrances.


	19. Rematch

The smoke had started to die down at this point, allowing us to faintly see our cell and Zabuza, along with this masked kid.

"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed happily, "You made it! And is that----"

"----Faith?!" Kakashi finished in shock.

I grinned and gave them a thumbs up. "The one and only!"

Zabuza and Mask-Face didn't seem too pleased with our arrival. Sasuke was currently being trapped in an ice dome as-we-speak, and Zabuza had his sword drawn, with a murderous look in his eyes.

"I'll help Sasuke! You help Kakashi-Sensei!" Naruto ordered, jumping off in the direction of the ice prison.

"Got it," I replied, hopping towards the specified Sensei.

He looked over at me, with both of his eyes revealed, and smirked. "It's about time you woke up."

"Shut it."

Zabuza didn't waste a second. He lunged towards the both of us quickly, giving us almost no chance to escape. We managed though, but I still ended up on my ass. 

"Kakashi! You know any lightning jutsu?!" I asked, picking myself off of the ground. 

He glanced over at me, with a questioning look on his face. "Yeah, why?" He dodged a blow to the shoulder by sidestepping and aimed a punch towards Zabuza's face.

"I've got an idea! Just follow my lead!" I hesitated a minute, before thinking back to the first time we had fought Zabuza.

_What were those hand signs.....?_

I was thinking about the entire formation of the jutsu and ran it through my head a few times. "Alright, Kakashi! Ready?!"

"I guess!"

I sighed and tried to focus, as I started making the hand signs to use Zabuza's move: Water Dragon Jutsu. Once the signs were done, I opened my eyes and shouted, "WATER DRAGON JUTSU!!"

Kakashi caught on to my plan rather quickly, making hand signs for some jutsu, as my water dragon rose over the side of the bridge, shooting towards Zabuza. Kakashi had created a field of lightning in his hand, just in time to stab the water dragon as it hit the demon of the hidden mist, electrocuting him.

He was shocked as he fell to the ground, sizzling up a storm. He didn't seem as if he wanted to move, but I wasn't taking any changes. I looked around us to see if this was a clone but saw none. Besides, Kakashi had my back.

Lifting Zabuza's head to meet my eyes, I sat down on the ground as he opened an eye. "Why you fightin' us?" I asked.

"...........Grrr.....Fuck off..."

"Don't be rude. Answer the question."

He was silent for a moment before he answered. "Gato... We were paid by Gato to take down Tazuna......"

"......................You were paid by a Spanish cat?"

"NO, YOU IDIOT!!" He went on an incessant rant, trying to explain to me the entire situation. During the said rant, I stopped paying attention halfway through, and the Zabuza below me disappeared, revealing that it was indeed a clone. I looked down at the puddle of water beneath me and sighed, rolling my eyes. 

"Faith, look out!"

But it was too late.

Zabuza's blade had stabbed me.

_Poof!_

It was only a shadow clone.

Zabuza blinked in confusion, withdrawing his sword and looking around. "What the hell.....?"

"FUCK YOU!"

He was taken by surprise when a foot flew and kicked him in the side of the face. Thanks to all of my training, I was able to knock him back several feet.

I'll have to thank Rock and Guy-Sensei later.

Zabuza quickly recovered, and rolled backward, hoping to stand safely, only to be hit in the back with a strong fire jutsu from Kakashi.

"Zabuza, you don't have to keep fighting like this......! Why don't you stop this?" I asked, watching him stand once more, growling like an animal.

He only chuckled and ran at me, trying to slice me open. The blow was dodged, but he turned quickly, aiming a punch at my face. The punch hit its mark, tossing my head to the side, and causing me to get knocked backward. As I fell to the ground, he chuckled, finally answering my question. "Why, are you scared of me, girly?"

I smirked, wiping the faint trail of blood from the side of my mouth with the back of my hand. _"The only person I'm afraid of is myself. That fucker is crazy."_ I spit out a little more blood and took a stance, crouching slightly and placing my right hand behind my back, whilst my left hand stayed in front of me, beckoning for Zabuza to make his move. "Either way, you'd be saving a lot of time if you'd just end this." 

"End this?" He questioned, "You want me to end this?" He threw his blade my direction to distract me as he weaved hand signs. "HIDDEN MIST JUTSU!" He shouted. Once those words had been spoken, the mist started to appear in the air, making things difficult to see.

Everywhere I turned, the mist was there to block my vision from fully allowing me to spot Zabuza, even Kakashi for that matter. "Dammit....." I muttered.

_"Having trouble?"_

My head turned to try and find where Zabuza's voice was coming from, but my vision was still limited. "Zabuza?!"

No answer.

"Dammit!" I stumbled away, trying to find something that could help me. Eventually, I ran into the side of the bridge, nearly going overboard. Using the side of the bridge to try and catch myself, I pushed away from it and continued to walk, only to slam my face into.........ice? It was cold, and my face almost got stuck to it, so I believe it's safe to assume that's what it is.

"S-S-Sasuke.........?" 

Naruto's voice?

I felt around the ice to try and find an opening but was blown back on my ass from a terrifying chakra. "Wh-What was that?!" I crawled backward a bit, standing back on my feet once I felt that I was a safe distance away. The chakra that I was sensing was inhuman and felt WAY too powerful to be from anyone in Kakashi's cell.

Stepping backward, I eventually turned around and tried to find my way back to Kakashi and Zabuza. It took a lot out of me since I was stumbling over anything and everything, but eventually, I bumped into Kakashi and almost got turned into a useless corpse.

"Found you!" He exclaimed, turning quickly and attempting to slice my throat to shreds.

"NO, IT'S ME, DON'T STAB ME!!"

"Wait.....Faith? What the hell?"

"PLEASE DON'T KILL ME, I FINALLY WOKE UP!!" 

"I'm not going to kill you!"

"...................oh."

Kakashi responded by rolling his eyes and turning his head, trying his best to spot Zabuza in the mist. 

"Still no luck, huh?" I asked, looking around as well, but to no avail.

Kakashi didn't respond to my question, but he did proceed to take his ninja vest off. He looked down at the vest for a few seconds, looked back up, then looked back down. He unclipped a piece on the front of it and revealed a scroll. He took said scroll and held it in one hand while using the other hand to gather blood. Once the blood was on his hand, he opened the scroll and drug his bloodied hand across it, summoning several ninja hounds.

"Oh."

The dogs sniffed the air and immediately ran off into the mist, certain of finding Zabuza. All that Kakashi and I had to do was follow the hounds, and eventually, we were led to the enemy.

Zabuza didn't stand a chance. The hounds were on him like flies on shit. He couldn't get away from the both of us now.

".............you know, Zabuza...... You can still fix this......" I trailed off, looking into his eyes, not noticing that Kakashi was busy getting his attack ready.

Zabuza looked back at me, his face still showing little emotion, but he still looked as if he was thinking about my offer. His eyes moved away from mine, looking over at the water at first, then moving down to look at the ground. "No----"

Kakashi cut him off by dashing towards him, his hand covered in the same lightning as before. 

"Kakashi, no!"

_Splat._

There was more blood.

Unnecessary blood.


	20. Do Things Finally Get Resolved?

The drops of blood hit the ground eagerly, one after another. The wound wasn't enough to kill, thankfully. After all, it was only MY FUCKING SHOULDER, SO WHY SHOULD IT MATTER.

My hands moved into a position in an attempt to grab Kakashi's electric jab he calls 'Lightning Blade', but it didn't work out entirely because MASKED SHE-MAN THING WAS IN FRONT OF ZABUZA, AND DIDN'T ALLOW ME TO BACK UP FURTHER, CAUSING KAKASHI'S LIGHTNING BLADE TO STAB ME DIRECTLY IN THE SHOULDER.

THANKS, MASKED THING.

Kakashi didn't move an inch. He looked shocked, wondering why I had just defended the enemy, and he also feared that he would make the wound worse. "Faith?!" He questioned, "What were you thinking?!" 

"You didn't have to go charging in, you fucking lunatic....." I pulled his hand out of my shoulder, definitely not liking the feeling of it being there. "You could have given it a little time. Clearly, I was talking. Haven't you ever been told that it's rude to interrupt someone's conversation?"

"He said no!"

"You cut him off!"

We glared at each other, as I moved my hand to cover my bleeding shoulder.

"We were sent here to PROTECT Tazuna, Faith. Zabuza was sent here to KILL Tazuna. He is considered the enemy!" 

"Maybe he changed his mind....!"

"And YOU convinced him to do that?" Kakashi glared at me, his eyes showing no mercy. "I am the one in charge here, and using that to my advantage, I now ORDER you. Faith, you are not allowed to interfere for the duration of this duel. You are to protect Tazuna, and if anyone threatens his life, you aim to kill. You don't try to 'talk them out of it'. Do you understand?"

No response.

My mouth couldn't form words. My entire body was frozen, overcome with shock. He was treating me like a dog, making it seem as if everything I was doing was all for naught.

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" He shouted angrily.

"NO!" I yelled back, "OF COURSE I DON'T UNDERSTAND! I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU USE YOUR RANK TO ORDER ME AROUND WHEN ALL I'M DOING IS HELPING!" I looked around at all of the blood on the ground, and the puddle of it forming at my feet. "I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY EVERY BATTLE HAS TO RESULT IN DEATH!"

"I couldn't agree more."

An unfamiliar voice had spoken from behind me, causing everyone (except Zabuza) to turn and look.

A VERY short man was standing on the bridge, dressed in an expensive looking suit, black shades, and his dirty blonde hair to top off the look. He had an entire "army" behind him, and they all seemed deadly. 

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!"

I was not in a good mood.

 

"Seems like pipsqueak has a potty mouth." The man stated, turning his head back to his accomplices and laughing; his accomplices laughing not too long after him.

I heard a faint growl beside me, and a very low, "Gato...." That was muttered by Zabuza.

So this midget was Gato?

This _bean sprout_ was the guy that Zabuza was working for?

"Is this a joke?" I asked, looking at Zabuza, the masked kid, then back to Gato. "We've been fighting this whole time, spilling blood and getting in comas because Carrot-Top is the one in charge? _THAT_ shorty? Please tell me this is just another one of my dreams, and I'm still in a God-forsaken coma."

Gato was enraged. He grits his teeth together and clenched his fists. "Oh really?" He took a single step forward, fully taking in all of the bloodied ninjas before him. His eyes stopped on Zabuza. "Demon of the hidden mist, my ass. Your contract is DONE. If you can't even take down a yapping bitch, then you weren't worth it in the first place." Gato's eyes moved to my own, and all he did was stare, looking as if he had just done the best thing in the world.

Oh no.

_Oh hell no._

"A yapping bitch? You make it seem like I'm all bark, no bite!" I was being held back by Kakashi, and it was a very poor attempt. "How about you fuckin' fight me, you leprechaun, and we'll see how tenacious my bite can be!!"

Gato wasn't amused by my threat, and his expression showed it. He growled audibly and pointed at me angrily. "Cool it, hotshot! You aren't in a position to be arguing with me!" He signaled to the men behind him, and they all lifted their weapons in a threatening manner.

"They're going to fight FOR you? You can't even fight your own battles?" I broke free from Kakashi's grip, now fully enraged. "I see why you were named 'Gato'. It's because you're a FUCKING PUSSY!!!!" I looked back to Zabuza, growling, _"You should not have to rip yourself into pieces to keep others whole._ Especially this prick." I finished, leaving Zabuza wide-eyed.

Here comes another battle...


	21. The ACTUAL Resolution

Gato's men ran towards me, all prepared for battle. Kakashi readied himself to help, but the masked kid looked to Zabuza, pretty much asking him what to do.

Zabuza looked at the masked child (who was not wearing a mask right now, but I dunno his name), and moved his gaze towards my angry figure. "Help them, Haku....." He commanded, but without his usual, forceful tone.

I took out a kunai and threw it at one of the advancing men, only for it to be deflected with his sword. Judging from their weapons, these guys are serious, unlike their boss Gato.

"Can you not cause trouble, for once?" Kakashi asked from behind me, as he made his way forward to stand by my side.

 _"Can you not complain, for once?"_ I shot back.

Naruto rushed over, out of breath, looking around at all of us who were prepared to fight Gato. He then looked over to said pipsqueak as a look of confusion spread across his face. "Wha----"

"Don't get me started." I finished. He didn't say anything after that, knowing that whoever this man was, he was not on good terms with me.

Tazuna was still being protected by Sakura, Kakashi, Naruto, Myself, and Masked kid, Haku. We were ready to take Gato on, though Zabuza was currently trying to find a way to free himself from the ninja hounds, hopefully, to assist in the fight. And Sasuke........was missing?

We all (except Zabuza, Tazuna, and Sakura) advanced towards Gato's men, weapons ready and full of determination. The advancing men didn't stand a chance.

"Naruto!" I exclaimed, kicking a man off of the side of the bridge. "Where is Sasuke?!"

Naruto didn't respond, rather he created several shadow doppelgangers and continued his attack, showing no mercy.

"Naruto!"

Another enemy was thrown to the ground. 

"Hey! Will you answer me?!"

A doppelganger disappears, quickly being replaced by another.

"Naruto, what happened?!"

I sent a kick to an attackers face, looking to Naruto desperately for answers. He still continued to ignore me, attacking anyone who got in his way. I still attempted to get an answer, resulting in me getting smacked in the face with the flat side of a sword. Luckily for me, it hadn't been the blade that hit me. 

Getting tired of Naruto's, Gato's, Kakashi's, and these strangers' bullshit, I yanked the sword out of the enemy's hands and sliced his leg open, leaving him to hop around like a fool. I proceeded to use the sword to cut down the opposing side's numbers. I didn't aim for vital spots since I didn't want to be a senseless killer, but I still attacked them without a doubt. 

I cut down an enemy and was aiming for another, but my job was done for me. Zabuza had finally gotten free from the ninja hounds and was assisting in taking down Gato's men. 

"Does this mean you're not gonna cut me open again?" I asked.

He huffed and looked down at me through the corner of his eye. "Well, I don't have a contract anymore. Don't flatter yourself, kiddo." He looked away, but I still caught the playful glint in his eyes.

We all made our way through these crowds, but there were way too many of them for us to handle alone. And to make matters worse, it seemed as if Gato had called for reinforcements. It seemed as if this battle was a lost cause.

Praise Inari.

Just when we thought we couldn't handle anymore, my eyes glanced over to see a familiar looking boy. Behind the 'familiar looking boy' were hundreds of villagers, all holding some kind of 'weapon' to try and assist in the fight.

"Inari?!" Naruto questioned, looking in shock at all of the villagers standing behind the small boy.

"You said it yourself, big brother Naruto! The hero always shows up fashionably late!" He (Inari) was grinning from ear to ear, happy to be able to help.

Using the assistance from the villagers, we were able to scare away quite a few of Gato's men, leaving Gato himself WIDE open. Spotting my chance, I quickly made my way towards him, stopping once I was a few feet away from him.

 _"How's this **bitch** doing, Gato?"_

Gato seemed afraid, showing that he was indeed a man who let his soldiers do all of the dirty work. He frantically looked around him, hoping to spot either an escape or a grunt of his. Once he realized that neither was an option at the moment, he ground his teeth together and turned back towards me, clenching his fists and taking a step back. "Y-You stay away from me, or..... Or I'll kill ya!"

 

"Kill me if you want, shortcake. But I'd still take you with me to hell." I stepped towards him and he took a step back, fearing for his life. If it wasn't for the deep grunt that I heard from behind me, I would've continued intimidating him.

It was Zabuza who had grunt, and he was standing right behind me in a terrifying manner. "Go. He's mine." He commanded. 

I looked at the both of them before I smirked and dashed off. "Have fun." 

 

And with that, Zabuza ended the life of an asshole. Gato was terrified as Zabuza inched closer, and eventually, Zabuza cut off his head. Once Gato was dead, the others didn't have a clue on how to respond since their boss was now dead. With nothing else for them to do, they fled, and everyone was left in silence.

Well, not for long...

"S-Sasuke?"

Sakura squeaked out in shock at the sight of her teammate. She grabbed all of our attention and instantly put a damper on the mood.

Sasuke was lying on the ground, and he didn't seem to be breathing either. Whether it was a joke or not was unclear, but knowing his asshole personality, I'm gonna assume it's true.

With everyone looking towards Sasuke, you could see the shame written all over Naruto's face. He was staring down at the ground without speaking, and he wasn't acting like his usual self. As he was staring down at the ground, I made my way over to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump and look at me. "I-It's okay, Naruto...."

"It's not okay...." He responded. "It's all my fault." He looked over at Sasuke before saying, "Thanks for trying though..." 

I nodded in response and removed my hand, giving him some time alone. My silence was only ruined by Kakashi, who didn't look too happy.

"----If it weren't for Inari showing up, who knows what would've happened----"

"You're right."

"----We could all be dead right now, don't argue with---- wait, what?"

"You're right. I acted foolishly. I'm sorry." Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise at my statement, and he was at a loss for words.

Leaving Kakashi to stare off into space, I walked past him and towards Zabuza, who was standing in the exact same spot that I had left him in. His blade was jabbed into the ground, and he had his hands rested on the hilt. It was silent and awkward.

"Do you need something....? He asked suddenly without looking at me.

His question took me off guard, so I hesitated my answer. "Uh, no....." His eyes moved over to look at me, causing me to grow uneasy under his gaze. He took quite a while, but eventually, he surprised me yet again.

"Thanks, Kid."

WHAT.

He looked away after he said it, showing that the sentence made him uncomfortable as well. "Before the asshole let me finish, I wasn't gonna say no to your request..... Just... Thought you should know....." 

"What were you gonna say?" He had my full attention now.

"That no one wants us. Do you see what we've done? The people we've harmed? Heh... Common sense says to kill us where we stand." He was looking up at the sky, lost in his thoughts.

I stared up at him in curiosity, watching as a single snowflake fell from the sky and landed on my nose. It caught me by surprise, but not as much as the words I spoke next.

 _"You aren't so bad.."_

He was snatched from his daze in an instant, and he turned his head to me. "Give it time." I continued, crossing my eyes to watch the snowflake melt. "Eventually things will turn out alright." 

His bandages may have covered it, but for once, Zabuza Momochi smiled.

A real smile.

 

** ** **

 

"Do you _HAVE_ to go??" Inari asked us as we all had our bags packed, ready to head home.

"Yeah, we gotta go home. But I'll come and visit!" Naruto exclaimed, getting overzealous.

Tazuna, Inari, and even Tsunami had come to bid farewell, although I was somewhat glad that I was free.

"----And if I hear that you get beaten up again, or sliced up like a vegetable, I'll make sure to FINISH THE JOB----"

But I was _long gone._


	22. The Return

The trip back from the hidden mist village was a quiet one. Sasuke was alive (unfortunately) and there was nothing left to talk about. So while we were stuck in silence, we walked through the gate into the Hidden Leaf village. It was so nice to be home.....

 

I started to head towards my home due to exhaustion, but Kakashi stopped me and led me towards the Hokage's mansion so that we could report back from our rather lengthy mission. It didn't take long, but it was long enough for me to run out of energy. As soon as it was done, I headed home and went straight to sleep.

 

** ** **

 

"OPEN UP, FAITH!!" There were several loud knocks on the door, all of which had woken me up. I scurried to the door in my PJs and slippers, only to be cliché. And as soon as I opened the door.....

_BAM!_

"OH MY GOD, FAITH, YOU DID NOT TELL ME WHEN YOU HAD GOTTEN BACK, SO YOU HAD ME WORRIED!!!" Lee exclaimed, tackling me to the ground. He had me in a very tight hug, and I would NOT be getting free from this one.

"Sorry! I was super tired!" I said, completely pinned down. "It was supposed to be C rank, but it turned out to be a B rank." I squirmed around a little, and he eventually let up off of me. "It took a little bit longer than I expected....."

He listened to everything I had to say but stopped me short when he saw my pajamas. "Umm... Did I wake you?" He asked, blinking down at my slippers.

"Uh...... No......" He looked up at me with a 'seriously?' look, which caused me to mutter, "...................maybe......."

Out of nowhere, Lee jumped up and grabbed my hand, pulling me back towards my room, finally giving me a shove through the doorway. "Well, get dressed! Guy-Sensei and I have a surprise for you!" He sounded SUPER excited, which caused me to get extremely curious. Finding a simple black T-shirt and some faded jeans, I grabbed my weapon pouch and followed Lee out of my house and towards the training grounds.

We arrived shortly, seeing the rest of Lee's cell there, and Guy-Sensei was holding a box. He was grinning exactly like Lee, but Neji and Tenten looked, well, bored. I looked over to Lee, who looked as if he was trying really hard not to give it away.

_Oh boy._

"Faith! It's about time you arrived!" Guy-Sensei exclaimed, holding up the box. "I heard about the mission from Kakashi, so we decided to get you this!" Neji and Tenten looked over at him as if they ALL didn't agree with it, but they didn't have a word on the matter anyway. "You had us worried! I heard that you were cut open by a sword and that you were in a coma!" 

_Judging from the looks on everyone's faces, he hasn't told the rest of them that part yet._

"WHAT, FAITH?!?! YOU GOT INTO A COMA?! ARE YOU OKAY?! DO YOU NEED ME TO HUG YOU?!" Lee started.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT SHE WAS SLICED UP?! I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO'S ALLOWED TO DO THAT!!" Tenten continued.

"........................................" Neji finished.

Lee and Tenten both hugged me protectively, with one on each side of me. They didn't seem as if they were gonna let go, which made me send a very harsh glare to Guy-Sensei.

Once he realized what he had done, he tried to find a way to fix it. "S-She's fine now! Uhh...... I....... I also heard that she helped take out the enemy! And... Umm... She's alive!"

Surprisingly enough, it seemed to do the trick. They both released me and sighed. But, Guy-Sensei wasn't finished. "And now! For coming back alive and being a great... Addition... To our team, I present to you this box!" He handed the box to me and grinned, winking and giving me a thumbs up to urge me to open it. Lee was hopping up and down beside me, and Tenten and Neji were watching with somewhat concerned expressions.

I stared at the bright green ribbon that was tied neatly on the box and pulled at it, watching it become undone. I playfully hung it around Lee's neck and lifted the top of the box. 

And.....................


	23. Two Gifts

I lifted the top of the box, to look and see what was inside.  
     
And.....................  
     
A jumpsuit.  
     
A green jumpsuit.  
     
Folded neatly inside the box was yet another jumpsuit, just like Guy-Sensei and Lee, but it was slightly smaller due to my smaller size.  
     
My eyes widened in surprise, and I flopped on the ground, landing on my bottom. I slowly lifted it out of the box, revealing the orange leg warmers that were beneath it. I was at a loss for words, so I just continued to stare at it all.  
     
"See, I told you she wouldn't----" Tenten started.  
     
"I LOVE IT!!!!" I kicked my legs happily and hopped up, tackling each of them in a bone-crushing hug. "THIS IS THE BESTEST PRESENT EVER!" I went to hug Neji, but he looked directly into my eyes and soul, warning me. "I'M GONNA GO PUT IT ON!!!"

  
** ** **

     
I ran back to the cell, all dressed up in my new jumpsuit. It was more comfortable than it looked. "Tada!"  
   

Guy-Sensei's and Lee's eyes sparkled with delight, Neji seemed unfazed, and Tenten looked like she was going into cardiac arrest.

     
"Faith!! It looks great!" Lee exclaimed happily. Guy-Sensei nodded in agreement but stopped.  
     
"I ALMOST FORGOT!" He started. "WAIT HERE!"   
     
We waited for a few minutes until he came back, holding something in his arms. "These!" He looked down to the leg warmers that were already on my legs. "Put these weights in there!"   
     
"Wait, what?"  
     
"Weights! You put them on the leg warmers!"  
     
Lee continued to stare at my confused face, but eventually, he explained. After everything got through my thick skull, we both sat on the ground and took my leg warmers off, placing the weights inside.  
     
"So, what's this gonna do for me? What if I break my legs or somethin'?"  
     
"You won't!" Guy-Sensei answered. "Lee wears them every day! For training purposes!" He gave a thumbs up and grinned again. "I may even teach you a new technique to go with it!"  
     
Lee's head snapped towards him in an instant, but not out of jealousy. More like...... worry? "Guy-Sensei! It is too dangerous! You can not---"   
     
"---It'll be fine, Lee! I'm sure she can handle it! Right, Faith?"  
     
I blinked in confusion and looked at the both of them. Should I learn it? Is it harmful? Will it kill me? How am I supposed to react?   
     
"Right.."

  
** ** **

     
OH, MY LORD, THIS TECHNIQUE IS DIFFICULT.  
     
Guy-Sensei was teaching me all about each of the 'Eight Inner Gates' and how to open them. It started off easy but escalated into something SUPER difficult. There was plenty of pain and suffering, but with Guy-Sensei and Lee to help, I got the hang of it in no time.  
      
Just as I was about to open the 2nd gate, a Leaf ninja could be seen running our direction. As they got closer, I saw that it was none other than Iruka.  
  
"Faith!" He started, running over to me. "The Hokage wishes to see you!" 

The Hokage?  
     
I looked over to Guy-Sensei, who only shrugged, leaving me to wave goodbye and follow Iruka. We walked towards the mansion for a while, and he finally broke the silence with:  
     
 _"_ _What_ _the_ _heck_ _are_ _you_ _wearing_ _?"_  
     
"What do you mean? I got a jumpsuit from Guy-Sensei and his cell. Do ya like it?" I was dragging my legs along, trying to get used to the weights.  
     
"Yeah...... Sure....."

  
** ** **

     
We finally reached the stairway leading to the mansion. Iruka started to climb up them, but I didn't move. "Are you coming?"  
     
Damn these weights.  
     
I forced one leg up a stair, and continued to do the same each step; Iruka was laughing at me the whole way up. When I finally got to the top, I forced him to sit with me and take a break.  
     
Why did I agree with these weights?  
     
We stood up and continued our journey, and it wasn't until I reached the door that I got really nervous. Iruka must have sensed this because he placed a hand on my shoulder to comfort me. "Trust me, it'll be fine." He said, opening the door.  
     
As soon as the door was opened, I saw the Hokage talking to two unfamiliar boys. Hearing the creak of the door, they turned around and looked at me, allowing me to get a better look at them. They both looked at least five years older than me.   
     
The first one was SUPER TALL. He had dark brown hair that was kept out of his green eyes with his square, black glasses. He had a stupid smirk on his face, showing me that this guy was gonna be trouble.  
     
The second was a foot or two shorter than the other, but he seemed to be more mature. He had short brown hair and brown eyes to match. He gave a small glare to the other as if asking him to behave himself.  
     
Then the Hokage spoke. "Faith, meet Takuma and Kimashi Tatsumi." His eyes looked at them both. "They're brothers."  
     
Takuma ((The taller one)) held out his hand as if to introduce himself, BY himself. "I'm Takuma. And that over there is my pipsqueak brother. Nice to meet you, shorty."   
     
Kimashi rolled his eyes and stepped forward, holding out his hand as well. "I'm sorry about him. My younger brother can get out of hand at times. I'm Kimashi. It's a pleasure meeting you."  
     
I shook his hand and looked at the both of them, finally looking to Iruka and Sarutobi-San. "Not to seem rude, but why are they here?"   
     
Iruka smiled and said:

     
 ** _"_** ** _Well_** ** _,_** ** _Faith_** ** _,_** ** _This_** ** _is_** ** _your_** ** _new_** ** _cell_** ** _._** _ **"**_

  
  
Also: Since I'm terrible at descriptions

Takuma:

Kimashi:


	24. New Rivals

((Sims 3 is such a beautiful game))

     
I stared at Iruka in shock, choking on my own saliva. "M-My cell?!" I asked, trying to catch my breath.  
     
Sarutobi-San spoke up. "Well, Iruka here was telling me about you still not having a cell, so we tried to find the perfect match. Granted, they're both still genin, but it allows you to enter the upcoming Chunin Exams......"   

"Chunin Exams?!"

"Yes, the Chunin Exams. But before we're allowed to let you enter, we have to wait for your cell leader."  
     
"Cell leader?!?!"  
     
"Once he gets here, he'll test your abilities and such."  
     
My head was spinning from listening to this all at once. I finally had a cell? No way! This couldn't be real.....  
     
"Hullo?"  
     
The door had been opened, and standing in the doorway was a man who looked pretty young for a jonin. He was really muscular, with a headband wrapped tight around his upper arm. He had bright blue eyes, bright purple hair kept back in a rattail, and an even brighter smile. He was looking to Sarutobi-San until he spotted my new cellmates. "Hey! If it isn't my favorite genin! What's up?" He gave a high five to the both of them before looking down at me. "Ooh! Hey! You must be the last member of our cell! Am I right?"   
  
Sarutobi-San watched the whole encounter between the four of us and finally managed: "Umm, Faith, this is your new cell leader-----"  
     
"-----Ari Cross, at your service!" He bowed playfully, giving a small wink. After he stayed there for several minutes, he straightened back out and held his hand out for me to shake. "And you must be Faith! I've heard a lot about you, you little overachiever, you!" He playfully nudged me with his elbow and winked again.  
    
"Erm..... Takuma and Kimashi have already been approved for the Chunin Exams." Iruka said. "The only thing left is for Ari to check and see if you're ready as well." As he was talking, Sarutobi-San walked towards his desk and pulled out two pieces of paper, in which he handed to my new Sensei.  
     
"Here." He said to Ari. "This is her information sheet and the list of missions that she's been on. This should help."  
     
Ari looked down at the papers in his hands and quickly skimmed over them. "Geez. She really is an overachiever." He folded them up and placed them in his back pocket, throwing his hands in the air. "Alright! Time to get some shit done!"

  
** ** **

     
We headed for the training fields, to see if I was ready for the 'Chunin Exams', and apparently, we weren't the only ones there. Kakashi had arrived with his cell, and Guy-Sensei was still there; he had never left. As we got closer, both teams turned their heads to look at us in confusion.  
     
"Ari?" Kakashi asked. "What are you doing here?"  
     
Ari showed off his signature grin once more and placed a hand on my head, ruffling my hair. "Well, I'm making sure our newest member has what it takes for the Chunin Exams!" He pulled out the folded up papers from before and held them up. "And according to these, she shouldn't have a problem."  
     
Both cells looked to me right after he spoke. The silence was broken by Naruto eventually, with:  
     
"SHE FINALLY GOT A NEW CELL!!!!"  
     
Guy-Sensei and Lee looked as if they were about to cry tears of joy, and Naruto ran over and gave me an enthusiastic hug. Everyone was congratulating me and making me happy.  
     
Until a certain cell showed up.  
     
It seemed that nobody knew these guys, except for my new teammates. They all had a dangerous vibe about them and none of them looked friendly. 

The cell leader looked dark, evil even. He was super pale, with red eyes and white hair, kept back in the same rattail as Ari-Sensei and I. He was giving everybody murderous looks, yet he didn't speak a word. Behind him were his three students, who looked just as threatening.

     
"Damn him...." Ari-Sensei muttered.  
     
I looked over to Kimashi, trying to find answers to who these strangers were. Thankfully, he let me in on everything.  
     
"That cell leader? His name is Kyo. Kyo Cross. He's Ari-Sensei's brother." He glared over at Kyo and continued. "Their parents passed away a year ago of old age, and in their will, they left the land and such to Ari-Sensei. They said that they didn't trust Kyo because of his dark ways. Clearly, it angered him." He then looked to the students behind Kyo. "That first one, his name is Kenji Tatsuo. He acts just like Kyo, and agrees with him on everything." Kenji had long, shaggy black hair that almost covered his blue eyes. He was glaring at Ari, just like Kimashi said. "The one in the middle is Senri Etsuko. He may be with them, but he's the nicest guy you'll ever meet. He's super playful." Senri had curly, light brown hair, which he was currently messing with, and sparkling blue eyes. He seemed kinda nervous about what was going on. "And that last one is Akyra Katsumi, the playful troublemaker. She tells plenty of jokes, and will flirt with any guy, single or taken." Akyra had very short, bright red hair that closely resembled flames and shocking green eyes. She had a smirk on her face, and she gave a small wink to Sasuke.  
     
Just what I need.  
     
New Rivals.

  
  
Again, I'm bad at descriptions:

Ari:

Kyo:

Kenji:

Senri:

Akyra:


	25. Preparations

After the encounter with Ari-Sensei's brother, our cell left to try and find a new place to practice. We eventually settled for a small clearing in the woods, and shit was about to go down.

"Okay, team!" Ari shouted, giving us instructions. "Faith here is going to try and hide, while we try and find her. Kinda like hide-and-seek! If we can't find her by sundown, then she's ready for the Chunin Exams, AND, we all get to pay for ramen tonight, except Faith. If we find her, she gets to pay for our ramen each day she is found, and she'll have to try again. Got it?"

"Got it!" We all shouted in unison.

"Good! Faith, you get a fifteen-second headstart. AAAAAAAAAAND~! BEGIN!"

Gone.

 

** ** ** 3rdPOV

 

Faith had completely disappeared once she had gotten the signal from Ari. The rest of the cell stayed completely still, while their cell leader counted down from fifteen aloud.

"3....... 2........." Ari counted down.

"1." The three said at once, before disappearing in separate directions.

All four ninja were flying through the branches of the trees, making little to no noise at all. Their footsteps were quiet, and their senses were put to the test as they would occasionally stop to listen, or even _smell_ for one another. No one had caught the small female.

And they weren't going to.

Or were they?

She was heading towards the running water that wasn't far from her current location, possibly hoping to mask her scent with the water; she really didn't want to have to pay for ramen.

Unfortunately for her, three ninjas lie in wait for her arrival.

As soon as she reached the edge of the water, her team surrounded her on all sides, each with a smirk on their faces. They moved in closer, and she put her hands in the air as if to surrender.

"Mwahahahaha!" Takuma laughed, fist pumping the air. "Free ramen! Booyah!" He hopped around his older brother happily, slapping him with each hop. "Free fooooooooood~!"

"Umm.... Takuma...." Kimashi managed in between a slap.

"I'll FEAST tonight!"

"Takuuuuuuma.." Ari continued. "You might wanna take a look first."

Takuma looked to his purple-haired Sensei, and then to the ten-year-old girl that was beside him. "What.......?"

_Poof._

Just a shadow clone.

And that night, the river was filled with more water than it's ever had before, thanks to a very VERY upset genin.

 

** ** ** Normal POV

 

I sat on a rock, downstream of the river. I could hear Takuma's childish sobs and the others trying to comfort him somehow.

_I really did try not to laugh._

Eventually, I couldn't help it, so I hopped up, my leg warmers feeling heavier than ever (now that they were wet), and hopped off, finding a place to hide until sundown. Settling on a very high tree branch, I sat down and rested against the trunk.

And waited.

_And waited._

_**And waited.** _

Finally, the sun was setting just as I heard Takuma's angry call of: "DAMN YOU, THE JOKE IS OVER! YOU CAN COME BACK NOW!"

............

..................

.......................

...................................I'm gonna feast tonight.

 

** ** **

 

ICHIRAKU'S RAMEN IS THE BEST.

SO YUMMY.

Our entire cell squeezed into the small area of 'Ichiraku Ramen' and sat on the stools at the bar. I was grinning from ear to ear, and the others all had looks of regret.

"Oh! Faith!" Ayame, the female worker exclaimed, waving happily. "It's great to see you again!"

 

"Faith?" Teuchi's voice could be heard from the back. "Hey! How about a bowl of the usual?"

"That sounds awesome! And keep 'em comin', cause I'm not payin' tonight!" 

_BAM!_

All three of their faces slammed on the table in unison, each crying their own tears.

"Alright!" Teuchi exclaimed.

He brought out a bowl and set it in front of me, which I thanked him for greatly. It was the ramen noodles, but it had pieces of chicken and beef in it, cooked to perfection. "Can I get you boys anything?" Teuchi asked; Ayame trying to comfort them.

"We...... We'll just have what she's having...." They muttered.

As Teuchi went off to make the ramen, a certain blonde walked into the shop, with none other than Iruka-Sensei.

"Huh? Hey! Faith!" Naruto shouted, sitting in the seat next to me. "Didn't think I'd find you here! Thought you'd need training for the Chunin Exams." As he spoke, Teuchi and Ayame served my cell's food, while taking Iruka's orders for himself and Naruto.

"I love it here! And tonight is special because I don't have to pay, THEY do." I pointed a finger at the cell behind me, and each of them was slurping their noodles sadly. "Anyway, we made a deal, and they couldn't keep it. So, I'm ready for the Chunin Exams!" I ate my noodles with a fork ((Faith-Sama doesn't know how to use chopsticks ;-;)) happily, and looked at Iruka and waved, earning a small wave back. 

Once Naruto and Iruka were served with their bowls of ramen, Naruto and I had an eating contest. It was stopped at a tie when we realized neither of our Sensei wanted to pay much more than they had to.

 

_Teuchi was happy though._


	26. Entering The Chunin Exams

After enjoying a feast of ramen, I waved goodbye to everyone and headed home. The walk was silent and somewhat boring, but that all changed when someone grabbed the back of my jumpsuit, pulled it back, and let it slap against my back.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!?!" I turned around and saw Takuma and Kimashi behind me, Takuma with his hand in the air, giving a small, childish wave.

"Sorry, but I've wanted to do that ALL DAY." He said, getting slapped on the arm by his sibling. "You look like a dork." This time, it was me who slapped him, but it was across his face.

I rubbed my back in pain and started walking backward to avoid getting hit again. "So, why are you two following me?"

"Oh! Sorry, we didn't mention it." Kimashi rubbed the back of his neck and continued. "Our house is in the same direction, so we just thought we'd follow. You know, for the company." He glared over at his brother (who was currently staring at the stars with his mouth wide open) as if anyone was better company than him.

"Heh, makes sense. I had a little sister who acted the same way. Occasionally the older one as well, but mainly the younger." I thought back to the times that I've shared with my family when we reached a fork in the road.

"Goodnight, Faith." Kimashi waved.

"Yeah, goodnight, Shortcake." Takuma actually hugged me, which I thought was kind until he slapped me with my jumpsuit again.

"DAMN YOU, GOODNIGHT!!"

 

** ** **

 

I've been lounging around my house for several days, with nothing to do. There were no missions since the genin were preparing for the Chunin Exams, so I REALLY had nothing to do.

"Oi! Faith!" Came a voice from outside the door to my home. 

I walked over to my door in some baggy gray sweatpants with a white tank top and opened it. "Wut."

Ari-Sensei was standing in the doorway, with Takuma and Kimashi behind him. "Can we come in? 

"How do you even know where I live?"

Ari dug around in his back pocket and pulled out the papers that had my information on it. 

ALL of my information.

"This." He stated simply.

Not feeling in the mood to argue, I stepped aside and allowed them to walk in. My green jumpsuit was sitting on the kitchen table ((the kitchen and the living room are connected)), new and improved with the sleeves trimmed nicely, like my tank top.

 

"Nice place!" Ari exclaimed, taking a look around.

 

Kimashi was looking around at all of the photos that were hung up on the walls and sitting on the tables. "Do you live alone?"

"Yes. Currently."

"Where's your bathroom? I gotta take a leak." Takuma was looking down the hallway, which was also covered in picture frames.

"Down the hall, first door to your right," I said as he waddled away. I then went into the kitchen, picking my jumpsuit up and heading towards my room to change. When I came back out, I was wearing the green jumpsuit and leg warmers under a baggy, bright yellow T-shirt and some casual jeans. "What are you guys even doing here anyway?" I asked, walking back into the living room, hearing the toilet flush.

"Well, we came here to get you, so you could sign up for the Chunin Exams together," Ari explained, looking to Takuma, who was behind me, zipping his pants. "Are you ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." I managed.

 

** ** **

 

Ari-Sensei left us at the doorstep, so we were left to navigate the building ourselves, and find the designated floor. Once we got there, two guys were blocking the door, and they seemed to be...........

Throwing Lee on the floor?!

Oh nonononono.

AW HELL NAH.

"Hey, Ass Muncher!" I shouted, grabbing the attention of the two boys blocking the door. "You wanna hurt my friends, you'll have to go through ME first!" I was currently standing in front of Lee, who was picking himself up off of the floor, and standing in front of the guys who had to deal with my wrath.

They didn't seem bothered, instead, they laughed.

"Whoa, Big Brows, who's your feisty little girlfriend?" The brunette questioned, causing the boy with black hair to laugh.

I could feel my face heating up, and my heartbeat quicken. This guy was embarrassing me in front of SO MANY PEOPLE. What do I do?

I stood there in silence, trying to stutter out a, 'he's not my boyfriend', but with the way they laughed, it made me feel small and weak.

 

And then? They were kneed. Right in the groin by Takuma and Kimashi both. The boys went down on the ground in pain, and Kimashi had to hold Takuma back from doing anything rash.

"No one makes fun of pipsqueak but me!" Takuma slightly raised his voice, his glasses slipping down his nose.

"She's our teammate, and I'm not going to stand by as she gets hurt. Sorry." Kimashi gave a small smile to both of the boys.

I turned my head to see Lee standing, and he was blushing as well. Behind him was Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, and Sasuke was looking at the number on the sign above the door.

"This isn't even the right floor," Sasuke stated.

The boys on the floor groaned, and the Genjutsu wore off, showing that we were indeed a floor below our destination.

Fuckin' pricks.

 

** ** **

 

Everyone moved all at once towards the correct floor so that we could get this crap over with. As we moved towards the room, a voice caught my attention.

"Sasuke Uchiha!"

Lee?

I stopped and told Takuma and Kimashi to go on without me.

"Please, fight me!"

Not being able to spot him, I looked up and finally saw him above us on a banister. He soon jumped down and landed in front of team 7. His gaze moved from Sasuke to Sakura, and he winked, sending Sakura into an unwanting frenzy.

Oh my lord, no.

Naruto didn't approve of Lee wanting to fight Sasuke. "Hey you, Bushy Brows! Why fight him when you can fight me?!" 

The last thing I saw before I left (while dying of laughter), was Naruto being flipped and crashing into the wall.

 

** ** **

 

I caught up in the room with Takuma and Kimashi and thanked them for taking up for me. They both smiled and told me it was no problem, and Takuma pats me on the back.

There was SO MANY NINJA.

Some of them I recognized from our village, but others were a mystery. Some looked older than 20! They were all chatting amongst themselves and making me highly uncomfortable.

We waited for a WHILE, and Naruto walked in, shouting like a lunatic. But something else caught my attention.

SOMEONE else.

Sasuke Uchiha was talking to the silver-haired boy from my nightmare.


	27. The Written Exam

What was that boy doing here?

Was he a ninja?

Was he a spy?

No. Clearly, I was overreacting. It's probably just random that I had a dream about him. Maybe it bothered me because it all seemed so real...

Turning my attention away from him, I looked around the room once more to see Kyo's cell staring right at us. Kenji was glaring directly into my eyes making me feel very uncomfortable. 

"Faith, I think the first part of the exam may be a written test," Kimashi informed.

Wait.

What?

"A written test?" I stuttered.

"Well, yeah. Plus, we're all gonna be separated. So we can't help each other."

WHAT.

"NO NO NO NO NO!!!" I grabbed Kimashi by the shoulders and shook him. "I CAN'T TAKE A TEST! I HAVE THE ATTENTION SPAN OF A CHILD WITH CANDY!!! THIS WON'T WORK! I'LL FAIL!" I collapsed on him and started sobbing on his chest. "Nooooooooooo~!"

Takuma comically peeled me off of Kimashi and set me on the floor. "Please, as if YOU have any right to complain. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed! So calm down! We'll figure something out."

I hope so. 

 

** ** **

 

THIS MAN IS SO MEAN.

We were all seated randomly, and thankfully I had a seat at the end of a table, beside some dude all dressed in black, with purple makeup on his face.

 

The guy kept glancing at me as I tried my best to pay attention to the rules. He was VERY DISTRACTING, and eventually, I glared over at him. We locked eyes and had a small staring contest until a random jonin slapped our papers in front of us. We both jumped at this and looked at the man.

"Am I going to have to ask you to leave?" He asked, looking at the both of us.

"No, sir," I said.

 

"No." Stranger replied.

 

I scooted towards the end of my seat, getting as far away as possible while looking down at my paper.

HOLY SMOKES.

 _ **'If ninja B throws a kunai at ninja A, what is the disodbaiehsqosbs...........'**_ My brain lost focus, and there was no way I would be able to answer these. I skimmed over the paper and stopped when I saw number ten.

 

THIS WAS MY CHANCE.

NUMBER TEN HAS TO BE THE ONE.

As I was reading the questions over YET AGAIN, a hand randomly appeared on my desk, holding a small paper.

THERE IS A HAND STICKING UP ON MY DESK, THROUGH THE TABLE.

I looked at the desk to see if anyone was hiding but saw no one.

WHY THE FUCK IS THERE A HAND?

I grabbed the paper from the hand, and it disappeared. Somehow, no one noticed this, and it allowed me to open the slip of paper.

 _"Don't worry. It's me, Kimashi."_ The paper read.

Holy shit, I didn't know he could do that.

Folding the paper up and placing it in my pocket, the hand showed up again, but with a bigger paper. When I opened it up, it was a test, with Kimashi's answers in neat handwriting.

I wanted to jump for joy.

But then I would get kicked out.

Hiding my excitement, I quickly copied down the answers, until I noticed a small note on the side reading: _'Surprised, Shorty?'_ from Takuma. After the answers were copied, I set the paper on the desk, and Kimashi's hand took it back.

I'M NOT GONNA FAIL!

I sat patiently in my seat, awaiting the tenth question that has yet to come. The boy beside me was making me feel hella nervous, but I refuse to give in! I'm not goin' down without a fight!

"Alright, listen up!" Ibiki (the dude in charge of this bullshit test) announced, grabbing everyone's attention. "This is the tenth question. But let me give you all a little warning...." He trailed off with a look of pure evil, and his eyes skimmed every genin in the room.

I take that back.....

I may fail.

"If you fail to answer this question correctly... You will NEVER get the chance to become a chunin. Understand?"

...........................

Faith_Sama.exe has stopped working.

WHAT?!

"If you leave now, you'll have the opportunity to try again, once the Chunin Exams are started up again. But if you stay and answer incorrectly, you'll stay a genin forever."

"And let me add this. If even ONE of your cell wants to leave, the whole cell has to go too."

Am I allowed to puke?

"Now, who wants to leave, and not take a dangerous risk?"

Several shaky hands were raised into the air, and each of them was escorted out of the room with their cell. It was so...... Unnerving.

Should I raise my hand too?

I mean, if I get this question wrong...

No.

I have to do this.

I have to get stronger.

My fists were clenched and my teeth were grinding together almost painfully. Inside my shoes, my toes were curling up, making me slightly uncomfortable, but determined.

Staying within my determined trance, it was almost too late before I noticed Naruto's hand shakily being raised into the air. He had his head bowed slightly forward, and his hand was trembling like crazy, but he didn't say anything.

No, not Naruto.

Naruto can't give up now.

What about his dream?

 

** ** ** Flashback

It was a rather breezy day, yet the sun was still shining brightly. There were very few clouds in the sky, and the ones that were there seemed to be pretty entertaining to me.

"Hmm... That one looks like a cat..."

"No, it doesn't! It looks like a dog!"

"Look at the shape! It's definitely a cat."

"Dogs can be fluffy too!"

My little sister and I had been butting heads that day, and this time it was over something as childish as clouds. We couldn't agree on anything, but at least we weren't at each other's necks.

My younger sister was completely convinced that the cloud was a fluffy dog, and was nearly ready to bite my head off for thinking otherwise. She was five at the time, and she had a hella bossy attitude.

Myself, on the other hand, was a seven-year-old loner, who rarely wanted company.

Today was an exception.

A certain 9-year-old blonde had made his way into my yard, nearly tripping over an untamed patch of grass on his way over. "Oi! Faith!" He called, jumping over and standing just within my sibling's and my own eyesight.

"Hey, look! It's Naruto!" my sister exclaimed, pointing a finger up at him.

"Yeah, and he's standing in the way," I grumbled, sitting up and stretching out. "Anywho, what are you here for?"

He flopped down on the grass in front of my sister and me, legs stretched out as he got comfortable. "I dunno. Just here to hang out, I guess." He pulled out a hand full of grass, and tossed it up in the air, allowing it to fall on top of his legs.

"Well, uh... I'm not the most exciting person on the planet. Especially with me being apart of a 'no-ninja' family. _Unlike you...."_ I grumbled the last part and looked up at the clouds again, getting lost in thought.

_My, how cool would it be to become a ninja? Learning cool moves and saving the world... If only it could be me..._

"Hey! Don't give up!" Naruto grinned from ear to ear. "I'm sure you guys can learn!" 

"But you don't understand..." I pulled out some grass of my own and tossed it in my sister's face playfully. "We don't have that chakra stuff. No secret techniques. How would it happen?"

That stumped him. He didn't know what to say to that but still thought of a response.

 _ **"Well, when I become Hokage, you and your whole family can be a ninja! And you can even be my right-hand woman! Believe it!" He laughed to himself. "I'll be the best Hokage this village has ever known! Even better than the ones before me!"**_

His whole monolog kinda made me sick, since I knew that he was a HUGE troublemaker that NEVER studied. As if he was gonna become Hokage. His chances of becoming Hokage were as high as my chances of becoming a ninja, which was _pretty fucking low._

"So, what do ya think? Pretty cool, right? I'll be so strong, people will HAVE TO recognize me, ya know?!"

_Whatever you say, kiddo._

_**Whatever you say.** _

 

** ** **

 

_C'mon, Naruto. Don't give in now. You've gotta prove me wrong, remember? I can't be your SUPER STRONG ASSISTANT if you turn into a **cowardly genin.**_

I was actually scared shitless when his hand slapped down on the table and brought me out of my daze. His head was raised now, and he was looking right at the instructor.

"Stuck as a genin forever? WHO CARES?!?! It won't stop me from becoming Hokage! I'll be the best damn genin on the whole planet, believe it! Rank doesn't matter to me, not ONE BIT!!"

Another monolog; but this one wasn't in my head. Everyone in the room heard it, and everyone's doubts started to fade. They were much more confident, and they trusted their instincts.

Ibiki looked pissed. "Naruto Uzumaki, huh? You're a feisty one, aren't ya?" He gave a deep chuckle, which eventually escalated into a 'throw your head back and shake' laughter.

"I'll have to remember that name." He wiped a single tear from his eye and placed his hands on his sides. 

 

"Congratulations, everyone! Each and every person who decided to stay in this room has passed!"

 

PLEASE TELL ME I'M NOT DREAMING.

 

Did I......

PASS?!


	28. The Forest Of Death

My head had decided to go on a fucking carousel, twirling around and around and around.....

Just like that?!

We all passed?!

I'm so happy!

I could cry tears of-----

WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!?!

While riding the crazy train in my head, a lady just crashed through the window and landed in the middle of the floor. She had a huge banner reading: 'Congrats, Genin!', and seemed completely unfazed that she had just broken through the glass. "Hey, Newbies! I see that you've passed the first test!" She practically shouted at all of us within the room. As she started to look around at all of us that were left, she turned her head over her shoulder to Ibiki and muttered something, causing him to let out a huff.

I'm so happy, I could cry.

"Alright, Noobs! Follow me! We're moving on to the second part of the test!" The lady (who had introduced herself as Anko) instructed to us, making us leave our seats and follow her out the door to God only knows where. The only good thing that came out of this part was that it allowed everyone to 'regroup', which meant that I was able to give Kimashi a bone-crushing hug to thank him for his assistance on the test.

"OH MY GOD, KIMASHI, THAT WAS SO COOL!!" I lunged at him, and hugged him as tight as possible, refusing to let go. "I DIDN'T KNOW YOU COULD DO THAT!!"

Kimashi had a bashful blush tinting his cheeks as he looked away. "It was no big deal, really. It was a jutsu that was passed down our family. Unfortunately... Uh........." He glanced over at Takuma nervously and whispered, "............Takuma didn't get it......" Takuma crossed his arms in the background, glaring daggers at some random kid just to vent. The silence was continued until Kimashi spoke. "Well, Lukia and I....."

Another silence followed that, and by the way, they both looked, this one was worse than the last.

"Lukia?"

This time, it was Takuma's turn to speak up. "Yeah. Lukia. Our little sister."

These two have a little sister?

"Well, why haven't you introduced me?" I questioned enthusiastically. "I'm sure she's-----"

"-----she's dead." Takuma finished, refusing to make eye contact with me. Kimashi was doing the same, his eyes clouded with grief. "She died years ago....."

My mouth seemed to have been stuck open in shock as I stared at the two brothers in front of me. They both seemed to have fallen into some sort of trance, and there was awkward silence once more thanks to me and my fucking mouth.

Good job, Faith.

 

The rest of the walk was silent as we made our way towards the next test. This Anko lady was leading us outside, and something about this seemed pretty fishy.

What would we do out here?

Eventually, we were stopped in a clearing, and in front of us was a forest that was caged in somehow.

Anko swiftly turned on her heel and faced all of us, placing her hands on her hips. "This is where the second test will be held!" She informed. "The rules are pretty simple." She held up two scrolls, one reading: 'Heaven', and the other reading: 'Earth'. "Each cell will receive one of these scrolls in that tent." She moved her head to indicate. "Your goal is to obtain one of the opposite scrolls and make it towards the center of the arena within five days. You are also not allowed to open these scrolls until you reach the tower. Understand?"

Silence.

"I'll take that as a yes." She let everything sink in and everyone was left in utter silence. "Each of your cells will be placed at an entrance into the 'Forest of Death' after you receive your scrolls. Good luck!"

THE FOREST OF DEATH?!

I was starting to feel lightheaded from all of this new information driving through my thick skull but was snapped out of my daze by a voice.

"Faith?"

I shook away my thoughts and focused my eyes on the sight in front of me.

It was Lee.

"Yeah? What is it?" I asked him, giving a small smile which influenced him to give one back.

"Thank you! For having my back in there. It was very kind of you!" He gave me a thumbs up, with that kawaii grin of his which caused me to chuckle.

"No problem! What kind of friend would I be if I let them bully you? Not on my watch!" 

"Just you wait, Faith! I will protect you too!" And with that, we high-fived, just as Takuma walked up behind me.

He placed his hand on my shoulder, scaring the living shit outta me, which caused him to almost die of laughter. Once he had calmed down enough, he wiped a tear from his eye and spoke. "C-C'mon. You can talk to your boyfriend later. We gotta get our scroll."

He grabbed me by the back of my shirt, as I stuttered nonsense at him, dragging me towards the small tent where Kimashi was waiting. Kimashi was waiting rather patiently, and he beckoned for us to go inside the tent with him.

After we received our 'Earth' scroll, we headed out, where we were led to one of the many entrances to the forest.

Forest of Death?

Here. I. Come.


	29. Reunions

The doors had been opened and our cell dashed in, ready for the task ahead of us. We didn't stop for anything until Takuma's stomach growled.

We came to a halt near a small river and set up 'camp'. Kimashi was the one who took the leader position.

"Takuma, gather any fish if you can. Faith, go out and collect wood for a fire, and possibly fruits and berries. I'll stay here and protect our items, and try to sneak up on a cell for their scroll. Deal?"

We each nodded in agreement, as Takuma took off his shoes and I hopped off into the trees.

 

** ** **

 

THERE IS NO WOOD.

I had spent AT LEAST ten minutes looking around for some sticks to use, and nothing was here. I wandered a little far from the bros, which was worrying me, but I knew they could handle themselves. Several berries and fruits had been shoved into my bag with haste, and no sticks were around to be used for a fire.

We're gonna die, because of me. 

Stumbling back towards the river that I left them at, I almost tripped over something on the ground.

What the hell?

I kicked the strange object gently, trying to find out what it was, which was the biggest mistake ever.

It was a trap.

The object that I had kicked turned out to be a setup, and it set off a net, trapping me within it. It was pulled up, and I was left hanging in a tree.

"Alright! Another scroll! We're on a roll today!"

"Hey! Get me down from here!" I yelled, fumbling around uselessly. I was hanging upside down, and attempting to change that was no simple task. "I have nothing you could benefit from! Honest!"

Kurenai's cell made their location known as they each stepped out from their hiding places (which were pretty lame, tbh) and stared at the sight before them. Shino and Hinata were silent as usual, but Kiba was ANNOYING AS ALL FUCK.

"Heeeeeeeey~! We caught Faith!" Kiba announced as Akamaru (who was currently lying on Kiba's head) gave a woof of approval. "That's funny. What are ya' doin' gettin' caught in our trap? Huh? What are ya' doin' wandering around by yourself?"

C'mon, Faith.

You've worked with this idiot before.

Convince him to let ya' go! 

"Oh, you know, just hangin' around," I responded, flashing a grin. "But, uh....... It would be awesome if you could let me down. You know, since we're friends and all."

He crossed his arms over his chest and looked as if he was thinking it over. He then looked to both of his teammates and asked, "Hey, what do you two think? Should we let her down?"

Shino didn't move an inch at the question and didn't SAY ANYTHING either. His expression stayed the same as always, and God only knows what he was looking at.

Hinata, on the other hand, looked as if she were about to faint. She didn't know which answer to go with. Does she say no, and leave Faith up there? Or does she say yes, and have her team become disappointed?

Kiba didn't want to wait.

"Well then! Guess that means that we'll just have to leave you here!"

"WHAT?!?!?!"

 

"If we leave you here, it's less competition for us. So, later! Have fun!"

"NO NO NO NO NO!! KIBA, GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!!! KIBA?!?! KIBA!!!!!" 

But they were already gone.

 

** ** **

 

It felt like days had passed since I had gotten trapped in this stupid net. Thankfully, I had maneuvered myself so that I wasn't upside down, but I was still trapped. Unfortunately for me, I found out that I couldn't cut myself down because I had taken my weapons out to have room for the food that I had gathered. So, my weapons were with Takuma and Kimashi.

Great.

Munching on a berry to try and soothe my grumbling tummy, I tried to get as comfortable as possible to sleep through the night.

Takuma...

Kimashi...

Please save me!

 

** ** **

 

I woke up to the sun shining brightly in my eyes, giving me no choice but to 'get up'. I was getting very uncomfortable in this net, and no one was around to get me down.

Reaching into my pouch, I pulled out an apple and bit into it, savoring the taste of it and taking my time. Things were going great until something shook the net, causing me to hold on for dear life.

It was just a squirrel.

After the squirrel had passed, I was left in silence once more with my apple.

Apples are NOT great company.

Apples do NOT talk back.

Apples do NOT care about your feelings.

Talking to myself (or the apple) seemed like a great way to pass the time, but it sure as hell wasn't gonna get me down from the net.

"Faith! Is that you?"

Wait a minute.....

"Hey! It IS you, pipsqueak!"

Takuma?!

 

"TAKUMA, PRAISE YOU AND YOUR NERDY GLASSES! PLEASE HELP ME DOWN FROM HERE!!!"

The 'nerdy glasses' comment didn't exactly make Takuma want to help me down, but when I mentioned the food in my pouch, he couldn't resist. He cut me down in a flash, and I landed on the ground painfully.

"How the hell did you get trapped up there?" He asked, leading me back to Kimashi while eating an apple.

"Kiba...." I stretched my limbs, earning a faint _pop!_ from each of them. "How did you know where I was?"

He took another bite of the apple and answered with his mouth full. "I didn't." He wiped a little bit of juice running down his chin with the back of his hand as he continued. "After you didn't come back for a while, Kimashi sent me to go and get the wood, while looking for you. I found the wood, but no Faith. Plus, it was late, so we decided to look for you in the morning." He finished off the apple and tossed the core over his shoulder. 

"Well, I thank you."

"No problem, bean sprout."

The rest of the walk was entertaining for the two of us. Takuma would call me things like 'shorty' and 'midget', and I would get back at him with 'four-eyes' and 'giraffe' to make it even. When we ran out of names to call each other, we told each other jokes and puns until we reached Kimashi.

"------I know! And Kiba just _hung me out to dry!"_

"Haha....! Yeah. Too bad he didn't _hang around."_

We both had a laughing fit as we approached Kimashi, who was currently starting a fire for breakfast. He didn't notice us at first, but when he did, he almost burned himself.

"Oh!" He exclaimed. "Faith! You're back! What happened?"

I went into storytelling mode and explained what happened and why I was caught, and the bros listened to everything I had to say.

"----And then Takuma cut me down and........"

My words had trailed off as I noticed TWO scrolls sitting beside Kimashi on the ground.

TWO?!

Kimashi noticed that I was distracted and followed my gaze, spotting the scrolls. "Oh, right!" He started, "A cell came by here for an ambush-----"

"-----They didn't see it coming! They tried to take us on, but we won and took their scroll! You shoulda seen it!"

So, while I was trapped uselessly in a net, these two managed to get another scroll, which ALSO HAPPENED to be the one we needed?!

AWESOME!!!

"Yeah. And after breakfast, we were planning on heading for the tower. Thankfully, Takuma found you just in time."

"Hell yeah! High five, my bros!" I held both of my hands up and we all high-fived happily. "Now, let's enjoy our breakfast of fish and fruit and be on our way!"

"Yeah!"

"Alright!"

We were so pumped that we forgot the food wasn't exactly cooked yet, so we had to sit in awkward silence as we waited.

 

** ** **

 

After our fulfilling breakfast, we packed up our stuff (AND MY FUCKING WEAPONS) and headed into the trees.

We hopped from branch to branch, passing all of the beautiful scenery rather quickly. It didn't matter though since I was SUPER HYPED to be able to pass the 2nd part of the test.

"Hey, how long do you think it'll take to get there?" Takuma asked from my right side.

"It'll take a couple of hours in the least. If we stay on the path without distractions, we should get there soon." Kimashi answered from my left.

I listened in to what Kimashi had to say and smiled, knowing that things were going smoothly.

That was until I saw a certain ninja in the branches above us with _long, silky black hair, pale skin, and, at the moment, I had caught his bright, yellow eyes._

_**Orochimaru was in the Forest of Death.** _


	30. The Sad Truth

As soon as my eye had locked with Orochimaru's, I knew there was gonna be trouble. I paid no attention to my surroundings and had even stopped COMPLETELY. Orochimaru had done the same, holding that evil smirk on his face as he stared down at me, waiting for me to make a move.

It was as if time had stopped.

It felt like nothing mattered anymore but revenge.

Ignoring my team's questions and requests, two kunai were pulled out of my pouch along with several shurikens to aide me. The shuriken was thrown with blinding speed, and Orochimaru's smirk grew wider as he dodged them all; the shuriken impaling the tree stump that was behind him. I quickly lunged at him with a kunai in each hand, ready to cut him to bits.

Before I could make my mark, my arm was yanked forward, causing my feet to stumble beneath me. The bottoms of my shoes tried their best to create as much friction as possible, yet, it wasn't enough to stop me from falling right into his waiting arms.

"My...... Impatient, are we.....?"

The words were hissed into my ear as he held my hands high above my head. The pressure on my wrists was increased almost painfully, which gave me no choice but to drop the kunai with a 'klang!'

"After all this time, you'd think that you'd learn... But I guess you can't teach an old dog new tricks, isn't that right, Faith?" He stared long and hard into my uncovered bright blue eye with his own yellow orbs. His smirk was beginning to turn into a grin, the longer I stared up at him with no fear. "It's unfortunate that you won't listen to what I have to say, my dear since I have so much to offer."

My eyes had become squinted as I glared at the monstrosity before me, refusing to give in and let him win.

I had to stay strong.

I had to do this.

For my family.

For my world.

"Oh really.....? What is it that you have to offer, you sorry excuse for a man?"

He ground his teeth together at that one and showed me his anger as the grip on my wrists had tightened, and I could now feel his sharp fingernails piercing the skin of my wrists. "You aren't in a position to argue with me...... You may have your friends with you, but I'm capable......" He leaned in close to my ear, and I could feel his burning hot breath against my flesh. "It would be an absolute shame if I had to kill my creation and her friends, don't you think......?" I could feel him smirk against my ear, causing me to wiggle in discomfort at how close he was to me.

"Your creation....?" I managed to speak, trying my best to free myself from his grip. He noticed this and moved his head back to his original position as he dug his nails in deeper. My eye glanced over his shoulder towards the appearing figure behind him, which was, thankfully, Kimashi sneaking up behind him.

Orochimaru chuckled at my question as he released his grip on my wrists and gave me a light shove, which was still enough to make me fall to my bottom. "My creation." He stated, staring down at me. "You're a weapon of destruction, my dear. MY weapon. And if it weren't for me, not only would you have died, but you wouldn't have been able to follow that childish dream of yours that you had. Remember......? You always wanted to be a ninja."

The accuracy of his words had sent me into a state of shock for a moment, but I refused to show that I had faltered even the slightest. "I'm not a weapon. I'm a person. Who has worked her ass off to get to where she is today!"

He merely laughed at my reaction, seemingly amused. "What, and you think that you got that skill on your own? My, you're a silly one." He crouched down so that he was at my level once more as his gaze moved to my headband, that was currently covering my eye. "Thanks to me, not only do you have an eye for absolute destruction, you have regenerative abilities that saved your life from a certain swordsman." Kimashi was inching closer in the background, careful not to make any noise as Orochimaru continued. "No one heals from a cut like that in just a few days, except for a jinchuriki. You know what that must mean, right.....?"

I scoffed at his question, surprisingly showing no fear of the situation. "I've known for a while now, ya big dope. People don't just avoid you like the plague for no reason." I was acting shockingly cocky, and it probably had something to do with Kimashi in the background.

He laughed at my fearless attitude, standing up straight once more. "You only know bits and pieces, my dear. The entire thing would take a while to explain." He glanced down at Takuma, who was a branch below us, gritting his teeth angrily. "Your team members are brothers, both from the Tatsumi Clan, am I right.....?" When he didn't get a response, he smirked. "And their jutsu...... They can pass through solid objects. What a useful jutsu... I could use it......"

What......?

Before I had the chance to put the pieces together, he whipped around just as Kimashi was going to strike and sent him flying into the stump. There was a sickening 'crack!' as the tree nearly snapped in half and Kimashi's deep grunt of discomfort.

We've messed with the wrong Sannin...

Hopping up as quick as possible, I snatched my two kunai from the branch and lunged for Orochimaru once more. I had to keep him distracted for a while so that Takuma could check on his elder brother.

"What are you doing here in the first place, Orochimaru?!"

"That's none of your concern. You can play hero when the time comes."

Takuma was quietly assisting his brother in the background, making sure that everything was okay. We locked eyes, and he gave me a look that said: 'hold him for a bit longer...', as he went to help Kimashi stand.

"Why did you experiment with me...?!" I aimed a punch at his face, and he easily dodged, chuckling in an amused way.

"Because I wanted to. Your family trusted me completely, so why not? My, you were such a feeble thing."

"You...... My family would NEVER have trusted you.....!"

There goes his dark chuckle.

"Yes, yes....... You're quite right. They wouldn't trust ME... But, they would trust a _friendly neighborhood doctor."_ You could practically see the amusement in his eyes as he thought back. "They thought the overnight stays were nothing when in reality, I made you my lab rat." He had a rather large grin on his face, which allowed me to notice his pointy sharp teeth. "The first one to succeed, might I add." He sent a kick to my face, which easily knocked me back. If I hadn't caught myself in time, I would've fallen from the tree.

Making sure that both feet were planted firmly on the tree's branch, I stood in place and glared daggers at the man before me. "Neighborhood doctor, my ass! There was nothing wrong with me! I'd remember something like that!" I sounded unsure, and you could hear it in the way my voice wavered.

"You wouldn't remember, my dear-----"

"-----STOP CALLING ME DEAR, YOU FREAK!"

The grin was instantly wiped from his face, only to be replaced with a scowl. His unusually long tongue traced over his teeth as if in an attempt to calm himself. He was staring at me without blinking, and eventually, he spoke. "I'm surprised you remember anything at all since there was an excess amount of trauma. But yes, you were sickly, and if it wasn't for me, you'd be six feet under." He had an evil glint in his eyes as he ground his teeth together in anger. "And if I wasn't worried about letting your power go to waste, I wouldn't hesitate to put you there."

"You're wasting your time then, gramps. Whatever power I may have, you aren't getting ahold of it. I didn't ask for this eye, nor did I ask for a Biju (tailed beast) to be sealed------"

"------Biju?"

Orochimaru caught me off guard with his question and even worried me once he started to laugh.

"That's where you're wrong; It's more than one Biju. In fact, it's a small piece of _all nine."_

The world had to have stopped.

"Did you know that my subordinate can drain chakra? The task was easier than I thought."

My head was spinning.

This wasn't real.

"I stomped on your mother to see if you would awaken a Biju. Heh, that worked out well."

Dizzy.

No.

This can't be.

 

** ** ** 3rd P.O.V.

 

Faith had entered a state of shock, leaving her team members to deal with the Sannin alone. Her knees buckled beneath her, and she dropped, attempting to put two and two together.

Takuma had cared for his brother, and found that nothing was seriously wrong with him; he had only gotten the wind knocked out of him.

"You bastard!" Takuma shouted. "This is my brother!"

Orochimaru's attention was now focused on the two brothers that stood behind him. "Don't get involved, boy, or you'll regret it."

"I GOT INVOLVED THE MOMENT YOU HURT MY BROTHER!" He clasped his hands together (Takuma) and proceeded to weave complicated hand signs until he stopped and shouted: "EARTH STYLE: PITS OF HELL!"

Below them, the ground was being opened up, and everything in the way was falling in. Rocks, earth, and even trees were being victimized.

_That move took a lot of his chakra._

The tree that everyone was standing on began to shake since the tree was slowly sinking into the earthy abyss. Kimashi nodded to Takuma, and Takuma nodded back, hopping towards his female teammate.

Making sure Takuma had a clear path, Kimashi looked the Sannin straight in the eye and weaved hand signs of his own. "Whatever the reason is for you being here doesn't matter! We'll have to take you down, Orochimaru! You're an S rank criminal!" As Kimashi finished the hand signs, he initiated a jutsu of his own. "Hidden Jutsu: Ghostly Intangibility!"

As soon as the jutsu was initiated, Kimashi lunged towards Orochimaru, prepared for battle. With a kunai in his hand, he faced the snake-like man with courage.

Takuma, on the other hand, was attempting to snap Faith out of her trance, so that he could remove her from the falling tree. When she showed no signs of recovery, he had no choice but to lift her up and sling her over his shoulder as he moved her to safety. Once she was set down, he attempted once more to get her attention but had no such luck. Deciding that it would be best to leave her alone, he headed towards the Sannin and his brother.

Kimashi and Orochimaru were having an intense fight whilst Faith's location was being moved. The Tatsumi's Clan Jutsu was coming in handy, and it was angering the older man.

Orochimaru; who did not seem pleased with the results of this match, opened his mouth, his long muscle unraveling and revealing a sword. He grabbed it by the hilt, and removed it, pointing it at the young boy with a threatening demeanor. "It's a shame that you aren't mine. I could use you." A dark chuckle rumbled deep in his throat after his words had been spoken.

Beads of sweat dripped down the young boy's face due to the exhaustion. The jutsu was wearing him down, bit by bit, but he refused to give in to the man before him.

Takuma finally landed by his brother's side, his eyes full of hatred. He could see (and even hear) how tired his brother was getting because of the clan's Intangibility Jutsu, and it sickened him to see a smirk on the old man's face.

"Kimashi, you gotta deactivate the jutsu...... Your body can't hold out any longer....."

"The moment I deactivate it, he'll get a chance at hitting me-------"

"-------Not while I'm here."

The brothers locked eyes through their peripheral vision, and the elder one knew that he wouldn't hear the end of it if he continued to use the intangibility. So, making a wise decision, the brother deactivated the jutsu and readied his kunai.

Takuma mustered up whatever chakra he could into his fist, and aimed to punch Orochimaru with as much force as possible whilst Kimashi swiped at his legs.

The Sannin didn't know which sibling to focus upon, so he hopped away from the tree in general (which was smart, since the tree was about to fall into the pit). He landed on the branch of a taller tree and watched as the two went to follow. An idea crossed the Sannin's mind as he lunged with inhuman speed. He didn't make it to his destination though, due to a _very angry female._

With enough force to knock over a tree, she took the Sannin by surprise with a single punch. The sound of her knuckles making contact on the side of his face filled the air as the Sannin flew to the side, into a neighboring branch. It snapped easily, as did the five that followed behind it, and he eventually came to a stop.

A single piercing blue eye locked with the yellow slits of Orochimaru, and neither of their gazes looked happy. No one wanted to move or speak, but it was inevitable.

"Look what you've done, you snake bastard. You've unleashed hell on Earth."

Faith's voice was deeper than usual, and it seemed her words were growled out. She looked at her team and asked: "Who's ready to kick some ass?"

The brothers each acquired a grin as her question was asked, and they both made sure to stand by her sides.

"I'll knock that stupid smirk off of his face!" Takuma exclaimed, clenching a fist and glaring down at Orochimaru with hatred in his eyes. "He'll regret fucking with me!"

"Don't let your guards down for even a second. He lives up to his title." Kimashi informed.

All four ninja lunged at each other, engaging in what would become a fierce battle. The three Genin attempted to overtake the grown man, yet they were unsuccessful so far. Takuma was using every bit of upper body strength that he had in an effort to knock Orochimaru's lights out, Kimashi was skillfully landing attacks, flinging weapons and throwing punches which would occasionally land, and Faith was trying not to fail in any way what so ever since she felt blinded with rage.

Orochimaru's patience was wearing thin. He had no intentions of fighting these kids, let alone run into them in general. He had already had an encounter with the Uchiha brat and his cell, not to mention Anko. He wasn't at 100% strength, and these kids were giving all they had. His yellow orbs looked at each of the children in front of him, and he thought long and hard about what to do. The Takuma boy was far too reckless, especially when angered. He could use that to his advantage. Faith was too damaged as a person and didn't seem helpful at the moment. But Kimashi..... Not only did he have the brains, but he had the Intangibility Jutsu. He was also an open book.

Kimashi hopped back, his team members following suit.

_Now._

Before Kimashi had the chance to explain his plan to his friends, Orochimaru was planning something of his own. His neck started to extend and shoot towards the three before him, and gave them no time to react.

And then?

Silence.

Except for...

_**"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHRGHHHHHHH!!!"** _

_Orochimaru had sunk his teeth deep into Kimashi's neck, as a familiar curse mark started to form._

Once Orochimaru succeeded in his plans, his head moved back towards his body, leaving Faith and Takuma to try and assist a pained Kimashi.

_His body felt like fire._

_Searing pain shooting throughout his body._

Takuma was enraged at the sight of his older brother writhing on the ground in pain, and nearly lost control of his temper and the situation itself. He quickly set his brother carefully and with plenty of care on the ground below them and looked to Faith.

"Take care of him." He commanded.

"Takuma, what are you----"

"----I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch."

"Takuma! Calm down and think this through-----"

"-----I SAID TAKE CARE OF HIM, DAMMIT! DO AS I SAY!"

Faith flinched at his words but quickly went to work, gathering a cloth to wet with water from their gathered supplies. She drenched it in the cool water and placed the rag atop Kimashi's burning forehead.

Takuma made sure that his brother was in safe hands, and then moved back towards the Sannin who was wearing a cocky grin. The two locked eyes for a long time, and it wasn't broken, even as Takuma weaved more hand signs.

"EARTH STYLE: JAGGED PASS!"

The ground had begun to shake almost violently as sharp, pointed rocks made their way towards Orochimaru. He quickly dodged, but he nearly saw his life flash before his eyes.

 

Takuma wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead in exhaustion. His chakra was running low, and so was his strength.

He had to think of something fast.

 

** ** ** Normal P.O.V.

 

I sat on the ground beside Kimashi, trying my absolute best to keep him calm. He was sweating profusely and squirming around on the ground like he was uncomfortable with the newly acquired mark.

"D-Don't worry, Kimashi. Everything will be fine....." My attempts at comforting him were absolutely worthless as he still continued to struggle. "I'm sure Takuma can handle this...... A-And your neck..... Umm... It'll be okay after plenty of rest......!"

_Will it?_

_I can't predict the future._

_What if we die?_

_What if **I** die?_

 

_I promised myself that I wouldn't let anyone else important to me get hurt or killed._

_So what am I doing here?_

_Why can't I protect them?_

_Why am I afraid?_

 

** ** ** FEELS 3rd P.O.V.

 

_**"Kimashi! Teach us the jutsu!!"** _

A little girl, who seemed to be five at the time, with bright yellow eyes and short brown hair, followed a seven year old Takuma (who was, at this point, smaller than his older brother who was nine) ((Takuma is now thirteen. Yes, he doesn't act like it, but screw it. That also makes Kimashi fifteen)) who looked overzealous as he asked the question.

"Takuma, you don't understand. I can't _teach you._ It comes naturally." Kimashi ruffled his little brother's hair a bit, giving him a gentle smile.

 

Takuma gave a huff of annoyance as he fixed his large glasses, which were crooked and nearly ready to fall. "Well, I wanna do it too! It's not fair that you AND little sis' can do it, and I can't!" The little girl behind Takuma stared up at the two boys as they conversed, wondering what to do.

"Give it time, Takuma. I'm sure it'll happen soon." Kimashi looked up at the sky above him and looked for something that could possibly change the topic. "You've gotten really good at your Earth Style jutsu... Wish I were an expert like you."

This caught the smaller boy's attention as a silly grin made its way onto his face. "Well, duh! I AM gonna be the strongest ninja who ever lived! I'll be so strong, I'll become Hokage!" His glasses gleamed in the sunlight, as he pushed them up his nose with a smug look. "Everyone will worship me!"

"Is that so?"

"Of course! And I'll be SO strong, I'll be able to protect little sis' AND you! Even though you're older than me!"

"I believe in you. You just have to work hard and learn all you can. Got it?"

"Got it!"

 

** ** **

 

_I'll be able to protect little sis' AND you!_

The pain that Kimashi was feeling was unbearable. It felt like someone had lit a match and set his body on fire. He couldn't even bring himself to open his eyes.

_Would he die here?_

Faith was doing the best she could, but it seemed like it was all for naught. With the way his body was burning, the cloth wasn't helping, like it wasn't even there, and all of her comforting words were drowned out by the voices of his siblings in his head.

 

_**KIMASHI!!!!!** _

 

** ** **

 

_**"KIMASHI!!!!!"** _

The elder brother stared at the burning wood in front of him, frozen in place as he watched his home burn to the ground.

"K-KIMASHI!!"

Kimashi was awoken from his daze just in time, as a section of wood gave way above his head, causing him to lunge out of the way. He landed painfully on the floor, and the wood sent embers flying about. The increased smoke was burning his lungs, and exhausting him.

"KIMASHI, HELP!"

Kimashi stumbled to his feet, staggering towards the sound of his younger brother's voice. "T-TAKUMA! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"I-I'M TRAPPED IN MY ROOM!! SIS' IS...... SIS' IS HURT!! YOU GOTTA HURRY, KIMASHI! PLEASE HURRY!!"

The frantic tone of Takuma's voice urged Kimashi to speed in an attempt to rescue his siblings. He raced down the hall and skid to a stop outside his brother's room. He foolishly reached his hand for the handle, but instantly regret his decision as he yanked his hand away.

_What do I do?!_

_I haven't mastered our jutsu!!_

_I can't get in!_

Kimashi was slightly panicked but racked his brain for something that could help. Eventually, he managed to kick the door off its hinges, sending it flying in another direction. His eyes scanned the room for signs of life, finally landing on his smaller brother who was frantically attempting to move bits and pieces of burning wood from a large pile on the floor.

"HELP, KIMASHI!!" He wailed out desperately. "SHE'S STUCK!! A-AND SHE WON'T ANSWER ME!!! WHY WON'T SHE ANSWER ME?!?!?!"

Kimashi felt a lump in his throat as he made his way to his brother's side, helping the best he could. The longer they took, the more smoke that was produced, and dangerously filling their lungs with said smoke was not a smart thing to do.

It felt like hours had passed as the two worked to free their sister, and barely any progress was made. A rather heavy board had fallen on top of Lukia, refusing to budge even the slightest.

_If they didn't get outta here now, they were all done for._

He knew it was a lost cause.

He knew it was for the best.

He knew that he would have to live with the guilt for as long as he lived.

With the smidge of strength that he had left, he lifted his brother onto his shoulder and staggered, headed for a way out.

"NOOOO!!! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!?! SHE...... LUKIA IS STILL TRAPPED UNDER THERE!!! _**WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!"**_

Tears streamed down Kimashi's burning face as he zigged and zagged to find a way out of his old home, cursing himself to the grave as he listened to his brother's endless plea.

_Lukia......._

_I am so sorry.........._

 

** ** **

 

A tear ran down Kimashi's face as he struggled on the ground, attempting to help his brother fight the Sannin.

_He couldn't let Takuma die._

_He promised to take care of him._

His eyes slowly opened and took a minute or two to adjust to the light. Once they had, he glanced down to see Faith sitting nervously beside him, looking up at the branches with a worried expression. He could read it on her face that she wanted to go and assist, but she didn't want to leave Kimashi's side either.

With shaky arms, Kimashi struggled to set himself up; the movement alerted his comrade, and nearly gave her a heart attack.

"Kimashi! Are...... Are you okay.....?" Faith's voice was filled with concern as she removed the cloth from his forehead in an attempt to flip it and make it cooler.

"N-No...... No, I'm not........" He winced in pain and fell back down; his weak arms giving way beneath him. "My body....... Feels like......... It's on fire......" He ground his teeth together in pain and gave up trying.

"Well.......... Just... Just lie still and rest..... Okay...?"

_She didn't have to tell him twice._

Faith watched as Kimashi closed his eyes and shifted uncomfortably every so often. She looked up to Takuma yet again as he fought Orochimaru by himself.

_It should be me up there._

Takuma was sweaty and exhausted from his fighting. His chakra was dangerously low, and he wasn't sure how much more he could take. Orochimaru was on a WHOLE OTHER level compared to Takuma, and Takuma knew that he wouldn't last much longer. As he gazed deep and harshly into Orochimaru's snake-like eyes, he saw a dangerous, yet playful glint; the grin/smirk that followed only made Takuma even more uneasy. He broke away from Orochimaru's stare and glanced down at his brother and his female teammate, catching Faith's gaze now. She looked like she wanted to help, but knew better than to move from Kimashi's side. It may have been a brief second, but he almost confused Faith for _someone else......_

Orochimaru watched Takuma look down at his team for the millionth time, and was getting fed up with the distractions. Takuma was only getting in the way, so he had to remove him.

As Orochimaru thought of a plan, he lunged, startling Takuma. But it wasn't Takuma that he was aiming for.......

Or was it?

He knew what Takuma would do.

Orochimaru was lunging towards Faith and Kimashi at the speed of light, and completely silent. Faith wasn't looking at him; she was looking at Kimashi because something _awful had happened._

"FAITH, LOOK OUT!!"

Faith looked up to see Orochimaru and Takuma lunging down at her, causing her eyes to widen in shock and attempt to reach for a kunai, but......

_It was too late._

_**SPLAT!** _

More blood.

 

More unnecessary blood.

 

** ** ** Normal P.O.V.

 

The blood had ended up all over me, leaving me to stay frozen in shock. The last time I'd seen this much blood......

My eyes slowly looked up at the person in front of me, and I almost died from the immense panic.

_Takuma had jumped in front of the blade._

His back was facing me, so I couldn't see his face or his expression. The only thing I could see was the blade of the sword that was slowly dripping blood down onto my face.

The sword was quickly unsheathed from Takuma's chest, leading Takuma to collapse on the ground below him. The wound Orochimaru inflicted wasn't too far from his heart, and _so much blood was oozing out._

"T-TAKUMA!!!!!"

I reached out to assist him, flipping him over onto his back only to see blood dripping down his mouth. He coughed, sending specs of blood onto my face, but at this point, I didn't care. He looked so weak, which wasn't right.

_Takuma......_

_He shouldn't be like this!_

I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked up to Orochimaru who was giving his amused expression.

_"Are you sad? Mad? What are you going to do, my dear-------"_

The punch that I sent to his face seemed to be enough to shut him up.

I created a shadow clone, which stayed close to Takuma's side, applying pressure to the wound while the real me proceeded to rip my headband away from my eye. "HOW DARE YOU?!" I screeched, throwing my headband in the dirt. "MY FRIENDS! WHY, DAMMIT?! WHY?!?!" My eye that had been covered for so long was finally being 'set free'. The combination of a Rinnegan and Sharingan had been revealed. ((Yeah, yeah. So OP. Get over it. Don't tell me this is the first fanfiction you've read where the main character is too strong. Anything is possible.)) "YOU MONSTER IN HUMAN CLOTHING!! YOU PIECE OF ABSOLUTE SHIT!! DIE!!!!" I dashed towards the angry man in front of me, my fists clenched so tight that my fingernails dug into my palms. I could feel something happening like something was taking over my body.

Orochimaru quickly got back as he saw what was happening. "I haven't the time for you, brat. I'm sure you have bigger things to worry about, eh?" He leaped up towards the trees, refusing to break contact as he went. "We'll meet again in a similar situation, I'm sure. Be patient, my dear."

Gone.

"COME BACK HERE, DAMMIT!! OROCHIMARUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I huffed and puffed from exhaustion and turned back to the brothers. The shadow clone was covered in blood from trying to save the younger sibling.

"I SAID GO!!!" Takuma shouted at the clone's face. "HELP MY BROTHER, YOU SHIT!!! TAKE CARE OF MY BROTHER, GOD DAMMIT!!!" He got so angry that he used what little strength he had left to headbutt the clone, sending it falling back painfully and disappearing with a poof! "LEAVE ME ALONE!! YOU BETTER-----" He was interrupted by a harsh cough, sending blood flying out of his mouth. When his coughing fit was through, he sighed and decided to lie still and look up at the sky in silence.

Making sure that he wouldn't headbutt the real me, I hesitantly head over to Takuma, who was the calmest that I've seen in my life. "Don't worry," I attempted to comfort him as I applied pressure to his wound. "I'm sure that things will be okay, right?"

_".............................Really?"_

"H-Huh?"

"Will it really turn out alright? Tell me....... Is the reason that you stopped............ Watching my brother..... Is he.............. _Is he dead?"_

My breath hitched as I refused to look into Takuma's eyes through his now bloodstained glasses. I didn't answer him either, which only _confirmed his suspicions._

"Oh..........."

"I-I'm so sorry, Takuma...... I....... I really tried, but Kimashi was burning up, and he was in so much pain! He......... He went to sleep and..... _stopped breathing...."_ A tear ran down my cheek as I stared at Takuma's wound. "I tried helping him like you would've wanted... But...... Then Orochimaru sliced you to bits.....!" The endless flow of tears cascading down my face fell upon Takuma as I tried my best to help. "Dammit, why am I so useless?! Why couldn't I have done more?! Why am I the one that's alive?!"

 

"Faith......"

 

"Kimashi is dead because of me now!! And because of me, you're bleeding out from trying to protect me!! Dammit, why-----"

"-----can you make sure to punch that Kenji guy for me.......?"

_What?_

"Takuma, what do you---"

"---well, we both know...... I'm not making it outta here...... So... Punch him for me...... Please, _shorty?"_ A gentle smile had made its way to Takuma's face as we locked eye contact. "I........ I always told Kimashi and Ari-Sensei....... I was gonna punch him...... For making fun of Kimashi............ Only I....... Can do that........ Heh...... Yeah......" He let out a soft sigh, closing his eyes partially. "You finish this thing........ And become...... The _best damn Chunin alive......_ Got it.........? I believe in ya', _pipsqueak............"_

 

**And with that, he gave a gentle chuckle, closing his eyes for the last time...........**


	31. The Weight Of The World

_**"I believe in ya', pipsqueak............"** _

My breathing nearly stopped once I realized that Takuma's had. My body was trembling so violently like I had no control over my actions.

_He's dead._

_Kimashi's dead._

_My family is dead._

_And I'm not?_

_Why was I the one to survive?!_

_**"I believe in ya', pipsqueak............"** _

_Takuma......_

_Kimashi......_

_You guys shouldn't be dead now......_

 

** ** **

"Oi! Shortcake!" Takuma's voice caught my attention as I headed towards the training grounds in my jumpsuit. We had at least two days until the Chunin Exams started, and I wanted as much training as possible...... 

 

"What do you want, Takuma? I-----"

 

_Slap!_

My jumpsuit slapped against the skin of my back as I yelped! out suddenly.

_Takuma!!!!_

"Damn you!"

"Every time." He gave me his goofy grin and fixed his glasses on his face as he pats the top of my head. "You fall for it every time, don't you?"

"I'm gonna beat the shit outta you!!"

"Come at me, bro!"

"Guys, guys! Settle down!" Kimashi exclaimed, standing in between the both of us. "Takuma, we didn't come here to tease, remember?"

"It must have slipped my mind."

"Yeah. Right." Kimashi sighed in frustration, instantly regretting what was planned. "Faith, we were gonna ask if you wanted to hang out, but Takuma feels the need to act like a child (Hey!). What do you say?" A gentle smile graced his features as he looked down at me with kind eyes. "We are going to be working together, after all. I thought it would be great to bond a bit." 

"Who'd want to bond with a midget.....?" Takuma muttered.

"THAT'S IT, YOU'RE DONE FOR, YOU FOUR-EYED GIRAFFE!!!"

"OH, FIGHT ME, YOU LITTLE BABY BEAN SPROUT!!!"

Kimashi was easily moved out of the way as we lunged at each other. He easily grabbed a section of my jumpsuit and allowed it to slap me as I pulled his glasses off quickly and ran.

"HEY, YOU SHIT! GIVE THOSE BACK!!"

"CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!!!"

He ran at me like a charging bull, making me run in fear. He had a hard time seeing without his glasses, which only made him more dangerous.

"When will they grow up........?" Kimashi muttered.

 

** ** **

 

Takuma was always so hot-tempered, and Kimashi was always there as a back brace.

_I'll miss them......_

_So...... So much......._

_Just like my family........_

_These guys......_

_Were everything to me._

_And now they're gone._

_Because of me._

_Because of my mistakes._

_Because I wasn't capable of protecting them._

_And I dare call myself a ninja?_

_Look at me._

_A monster._

_A monster who made a promise._

_A promise to never let go._

_To keep holding on._

_My promise....._

_I promised that I would never see a person who is close to me get harmed. I will NOT allow someone close to me die like this. I promised to protect the ones I care for with all of my energy, even if it meant throwing my own life away. I promised to train as hard as I could to get as strong as I needed to be. Because that........ That was my nindo! My ninja way!_

_**But I failed.** _

_Terribly._

_Oh so terribly._

_And there is no changing this._

_I'm stuck with this guilt for the rest of my miserable life._

_**And this life isn't exactly worth living.** _

_But a promise is a promise......_

_And I don't break a promise......_

_Right?_

The sound of padding feet caught my attention, but only faintly. It was as if I could hear their worried calls and their hate-filled questions. None of this made any sense.

"Hello.........? Kid, can you hear me.........?"

My eyes flickered from Takuma's body on the ground up to the person in front of me, who's concerned voice managed to catch hold of my attention.

Anko.

"Okay............. What happened......? Did you do this......?"

My gaze saddened and I looked away from her, and my eyes landed on Kimashi who finally looked peaceful. His kind and gentle features nearly made me want to burst into another tear-filled rage, but my brain knew better than to allow it.

"O-Orochimaru........." Anko gasped, noticing the mark on Kimashi's neck. "Orochimaru has been here." She glanced back at me with worry written clearly on her face. "We need to get these two boys and... Faith... Back to the Medical Nin as quickly as-----"

"-----They're dead. What's the point?"

The Anbu ninja and Anko looked at me in shock, staring at my now emotionless expression. "Because you guys didn't get here any quicker, my team died _right in front of me. **In my arms."**_ The glare I gave would've made any normal person run away. "Don't act like you care now." 

Anko stared straight into my eyes as her own gaze softened. "At least let us get you medical assistance. Orochimaru-----"

"-----Orochimaru can _kiss my ass."_ I readjusted my headband to cover my eye as I slowly stood, gathering all of my materials and supplies. I even grabbed the things that Kimashi and Takuma were holding and managed to carry it all.

"Wait! Where are you going?!"

_"I'm finishing this damn thing...... And I'm gonna be the best fucking Chunin ever."_


	32. The 3rd Test

I hopped through the trees quickly and made my way towards the tower in the center of the arena. The ninja knew better than to follow me since they knew that nothing they said would change my mind.

_**I believe in ya', pipsqueak............** _

It's too bad that _**I**_ don't believe in me.....

 

** ** **

 

Reaching the tower in what felt like no time at all, I looked down at the Heaven and Earth scrolls in my hands.

_This was it._

_The end of the 2nd test._

Walking in with a little hesitation and a rapidly beating heart, I walked into the center of the room and looked around. With both scrolls in hand, I gripped them tightly and took a shaky breath.

_Open them._

Opening both scrolls at once was challenging for me since I _did_ have to open them alone, but I still managed to get them open.

_Poof!_

A figure had just appeared before me, with their hands in their pockets and a lazy slouch. The ninja was surrounded by smoke, yet as it came to clear up, he was much more recognizable.

Kakashi.

As soon as the smoke cleared and his dark eye landed on me, his expression changed from nonchalant to that of shock/annoyance. "You? Why you?" His sigh was full of frustration as he massaged the bridge of his nose. "Anyway........ I see that you've passed the 2nd test. Where're the brothers? Takuma and Kimashi?"

My heart dropped at this, as did my gaze. This caught Kakashi's attention quickly, as realization took over his features. He seemed as if he had _just_ noticed the blood that littered my body and all of the extra supplies that I was carrying.

"Oh........"

I looked to the side in silence as he continued to stare. He knew better than to ask anything right now, as it was a sensitive topic to tread in. "Right... Well..... Follow me..... And I'll lead you to where you need to be......... Okay....?" He placed his large hand on my shoulder and carefully lead me away from the Forest Of Death.

_And what a fitting title it was....._

 

** ** **

 

Several teams had already finished the test, and apparently, one team had even managed to beat it on the first day.

How.

Kakashi was leading me past each of their curious gazes, and I couldn't resist the urge to look back. They were making me feel uncomfortable with the way they watched me, never looking away unless we locked eyes.

_Like I was a murderer._

Eventually, the staring became too much, and it made me look down at the heels of Kakashi's feet.

The 3rd part if the test couldn't come any sooner......

 

** ** **

 

The wait had finally come to an end as the remaining teams had found their way to the finish. We were currently standing in a strange room, while several jonin stood in the front, watching us with nonchalant stares. The Hokage himself had even shown up, and he looked like he had important things to say.

There wasn't much to listen in on since everything that was said didn't necessarily matter. The only thing worth listening in on was the whole, 'We're gonna have a preliminary match, 'cause too many of you passed the second test. Feel free to leave now.' crap. And the only one who managed to leave now like a noob was......

Wait.

Silver-Haired Twathole with the large nerdy glasses was THE ONLY PERSON who chickened out. As he made his way to leave, he walked right next to me and glanced over, a smirk barely making its way onto his face. I glared back, but it only seemed to amuse him more as he made his way out.

Finally breaking eye contact with the boy, I glanced down at my bloodied attire. I had completely refused to change into something else, and even refused something as simple as washing my hands. This blood wasn't getting washed off until Takuma and Kimashi get their proper funeral. This blood had stained the slightly battered canvas, and even if it was scrubbed off, the picture would still exist.

A mess.

That's what I am.

A mess.

I opened my clenched fists and stared at the dried blood that caked my palms.

I should've done more.

I could've done more.

Damn me.

Damn these emotions.

I'm a wreck.

If it wasn't for the hand that was placed on my shoulder, I would've continued to stand in the center of the room like a fool.

"Faith........? Are you coming.....?"

The voice came from my left side as I closed my hands and looked over my shoulder at Lee's concerned expression.

"Everyone is heading up the stairs. Follow me." He easily leads me up the stairs, treating me like I was a fragile doll, and one wrong move would break me into a million pieces. Lee wasn't acting like his usual, boisterous self like he knew the details of the current situation.

Praise him.

The both of us walked towards Cell 7 and Team Guy in silence, as both teams looked at me expectantly, wondering about my current state.

"Hey, Faith........" Naruto started, rubbing the back of his head to try and ease the tension. "Where's Takuma and Kimashi....? Heh, they're gonna miss the prelim-----"

The look that I gave Naruto shut him up real quick. The hand behind his head slowly eased back down and stopped when it had reached his chest. His hand was still hanging, with as much confusion as its owner.

"I......... I'm....... So sorry........"

There was no response to be given at this time, so I simply turned away from them all and walked closer to the railing, leaning on it for support as I blocked everyone out.

I feel like I should say something.

Like I should assure them that I'm fine.

But it would be a lie.

I am not fine.

And this is not okay.

Movement from my right side caught my attention as I noticed Sasuke heading for the floor below us right off the bat.

Damn.

That must suck.

The fight began rather quickly, and it seemed like a lost cause. This random sound ninja had a pretty nifty jutsu which allowed him to drain chakra and energy, and he had Sasuke pinned.

_Stupid Uchiha asshole._

All of a sudden, Sasuke found this sudden strength, and some strange patterns started to form around his neck.

That curse mark.

I disregarded the match for a moment as I stared at Sasuke's markings. It looked just like the mark that Kimashi had received from Orochimaru! So how did Sasuke have one? And how was he alive?

This irked me.

This irked me a lot.

The victory that he had just obtained meant nothing to me whatsoever as I continued staring at that mark. I had to ask him how. I had to ask him why.

But it would have to wait.

For a while.

 

"AKYRA KATSUMI VS FAITH!!!!"


	33. The Battle Begins

"AKYRA KATSUMI VS FAITH!!!!"

It took a moment for everything to register in my brain.

My match.

Was next.

And to top it off, I was fighting someone from Kyo's cell.

Fuck.

The only thing I could do was hang my head as I tried to think about what to do. Who knows what kind of jutsu she uses? I may be a goner the moment I step off of this platform. She could be one of those people who finish things quickly. And I wasn't in the mood to fight right now.

"Are you chickening out, you coward?!" She cackled up at me, getting in my head as she sent her harsh words. "Well, that's good then! With all of that blood on you, I'd be worried that you'd KILL me!" My head was still hung as I took it all in, listening intently to her words as I attempted to remain calm. "I bet......... That you killed Takuma and Kimashi, didn't ya'? Is that why they're gone? Did ya' kill 'em? Did ya'? You monster!"

Something within me _snapped_ as the bar beneath me was bent ever so slightly. I couldn't help it as I raised my head and glared down at her, lifting myself up and over the railing, landing on my feet below.

"Ooooh!~ She finally came down here! Good girl!~" Her green eyes flickered with amusement as she placed a hand on her hip. "Let's get this over with then. I don't have time for you."

The proctor in charge signaled for the match to begin, and I didn't waste a second. The moment the round started, I lunged towards her smirking figure.

Drawing my fist back as far as it would go, I put all of my strength into the one punch, only for it to _go through her._ Her figure wavered for a moment like it was merely a hologram, and my suspicions were soon confirmed when it disappeared, and a kick from behind sent me flying to the side, as I crashed into the wall.

The force of the collision made me cough up blood, making it _splat_ on the ground below me. The wall had even cracked under my sudden weight, sending rubble falling by my sides.

"Is that the best you can do?"

I had to forcefully yank myself out of the wall as I dropped onto the floor once more. I had to stretch and pop my bones just to feel right again.

Oh hell no.

I foolishly ran towards her again, only for the same result. More blood was coughed up, and rubble littered the ground.

"Do you even have a brain?"

I pulled myself out of the wall once more, wobbling in an attempt to steady myself from the dizziness. I massaged my throbbing head the best that I could as I shot a hate-filled glare in her direction. She didn't seem to mind it that much as she looked down at her fingernails, which were painted to resemble flames. She inspected them closely as she completely disregarded the fight that was going on, looking down at her hands with all of her attention.

Her cocky attitude was starting to get to me, and I wasn't gonna let it continue. I gathered saliva in my mouth and spit it to the side, specs of blood mixed in along with it. I licked my lips slowly and eventually started to trace my tongue over my teeth as I attempted to stay calm.

I failed.

Making a wise decision, I pulled a kunai from my leg pouch and threw it, only for it to move straight through her body and lodge into the wall behind her.

_What the shit is this jutsu?_

I exhaled sharply and tried making sense of the situation. She looked normal, but she felt intangible, like a ghostly figure. But one scent caught my attention.

Sulfur.

Something _burning._

I closely inspected the room for any signs of the _actual thing_ , but couldn't spot her anywhere. She had to be somewhere in the room......

Wiping the incessant sweat from my forehead, I let my hand linger on my head as I tried to think of some sort of solution.

_Why was it so damn HOT in here......?_

Wait a minute.

An idea formed in my brain as several more 'clones' circled around me, cackling in a very taunting way. It was _tempting_ me. But I had better plans. 

Until something else happened.

One: I noticed something was off, as I looked around the room and _nobody_ was there. They had all disappeared.

Two: Each and every one of the clones morphed into someone familiar. Someone that I cared for. Someone that had died.

_My mother. My father. My sisters. Takuma. Kimashi. You name it. They all stared at me with disappointed looks, as if they weren't satisfied with my being here._

_"Why didn't you save me?"_

_"Why did I die?"_

_"I thought I could trust you......"_

_"We're dead because of you."_

_**"Dirty friend killer."** _

Everywhere I looked, someone was looking down on me and making me have a major panic/anxiety attack, repeating their harsh words _over and over......_

_"You can't do anything right......"_

_"You're so weak......"_

_"You_ **monster** _."_

There was that word again.

That hurtful word.

_That hate-filled word._

That's not what I am!

I'm a person too!

Why can't they see this?!

The shriek that erupted from my throat was far too loud and full of pain. I didn't have any other ideas on how to block out their _venomous_ words.

Stop!

Stop this!

Stop it!

STOP!!!!

Gritting my teeth together, I dashed through the _burning_ clones and made my way towards the statue at the end of the room, which resembled a ninja weaving a hand sign. I gathered chakra in my feet and ran up it, screaming in an attempt to block out the noise.

Shut up!

Once I got up high enough, I used the statue to launch myself higher as I kicked off of it at top speed, getting dangerously close to the ceiling.

Shut up!!

I weaved several hand signs as I flew higher and higher until I was directly over the center of the 'circle' of clones.

"SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!!!!!!!!!!!" I screeched as I raised my hands over my head while an enormous ball of water began to form. "WATER STYLE: AQUATIC BOMB!!!" I used as much upper body strength as I could muster and flung the ball of water right in the center of the 'gathering'. As soon as the first drop of water made contact, the clones disappeared, as they were replaced almost immediately with a circle of flames. The other Genin and Jonin appeared as well, which assured me that whatever was going on was over now.

I started falling, due to gravity being a pain in the ass, and landed on both feet; the force of the landing actually cracked the ground below us, which I thought was pretty badass.......

 

Akyra stood a couple of feet in front of me, with a devilish grin etched on her face. "What? Did ya' not like it?" The chuckle that soon followed it was quickly cut off as I dashed up to her and grabbed her by the throat, yelling as I slammed her into the ground. I drew my fist back and punched her once, stopping for a moment as I stared at her fearful eyes and bloodied nose. "DAMN YOU!!!" I belted out, rearing my fist back again. "IF YOU EVER, AND I MEAN EVER, PUT ME THROUGH THAT AGAIN, I'LL PUT YOU IN A COFFIN!!!" I rammed my fist down into her slightly bruised face one more time as I closed my eyes, which were threatening to spill tears. Eventually, I managed to stumble backward and mutter out a sentence, as I stared at the bloody mess before me. "To you, I am merely a monster....." I wiped a smidge of blood from my face, some of which was mine, and the rest was hers. ".....And in the end....." I turned away from her completely, heading back up towards Cell 7 and Team Guy with an emotionless expression. ".....That's all I ever was............"


	34. Even More Battles

The match was soon declared over by the proctor as several medical ninjas rushed to her side, ensuring that everything would be okay. I had refused any sort of assistance, and the only thing I did was walked slowly back up the stairs, yet, instead of leaning up against the railing like I had done in the first place, I smacked my back against the wall and slid down it, coming to a stop once I had reached the floor. My legs were curled up because of this, as I lazily draped my arms over my knees and spit a small fraction of blood to my left.

Resting my head against the back of the wall, I closed my eyes in an attempt to finally get some rest, but my uncovered eye opened halfway (rather lazily) as I looked at the two teams in front of me, all of which were staring at me.

"...................................What?"

"Are you...... Okay?" Sakura asked.

"Why wouldn't I be........?"

_Stupid response; I have all right to be upset._

"Well, when you were fighting......."

".......You acted like you'd seen a ghost or something." Tenten finished Sakura's sentence for her. "And when you screamed......... Who were you talking to.......?"

_Erm......_

_What?_

"You didn't see them? What they were calling me.....? How...... _Disappointed_ they looked.........?" I asked, looking at them like THEY were the crazy ones. "They were right there, they-------"

"-------Faith, there was nothing there but _fire,"_ Guy-Sensei muttered.

Fire?

No.

"No, there were clones, of Takuma, Kimashi, even my fam-----"

"-----Were you........ Hallucinating.......?"

"No! They were there, dammit! I swear! If you couldn't see them, then maybe you're the one with problems!!" I spat out, curling up defensively as I pulled my knees closer to my chest.

They each glanced at one another with concerned faces, not sure exactly how to go about the situation.

"She's telling the truth..............!"

The new, approaching voice startled me as I glanced up to see who had suddenly made an appearance.

Ari-Sensei.......

He seemed so stressed, which wasn't like him at all. Beads of sweat coated his forehead, his usually bright blue eyes were darker, perhaps dimmer even, like they had lost their light, and his neat purple hair looked messy, as several strands had become free from the hair tie and stuck to the side of his face as if in an attempt to hug his face, to try and provide the comfort he deserved. He was out of breath; you could hear it with the way he gasped for air. "That Akyra kid...... " He took a gasp for clean oxygen in between. "She has that jutsu........ That shows images in the flames to disorient or throw off........... The target........" He used one of his hands to pull his hair from his sweaty face, putting it behind his ear to get it out of the way.

"So, I'm not crazy."

"Right. Not crazy."

I let out a satisfied _hmph_ as I stood from the floor, stretching my limbs to ease the soreness. "Just as I said."

Ari-Sensei gave a weak smile, attempting to be comforting. "You did well in that match. What a creative way to finish her jutsu off... I'm sorry I wasn't here to see the start of it."

"It's not that big of a deal. There wasn't that much to see........."

"Hey now...........! You're still my student! It's my duty to do these kinds of things!" He made a goofy grin and brushed more strands of hair out of his face. "What kind of teacher would miss their student's match?"

"A lot of them, actually."

"You aren't helping."

A light smirk came over my face as I made my way back towards the railing. "Yeah, sure. Where were you anyway? Since it 'took you so long.'"

There was a moment or two that passed after that question, and the 'happy' feeling that I had before was slowly beginning to fade away. The mood had suddenly changed, and with the way the silence attacked my ears, I became overcome with worry.

"Moving the.......... The bodies........ From the forest........." Ari-Sensei responded.

The answer wasn't one that I expected from him, but it still didn't surprise me as much as I thought it would. It would only make sense for him to be overly concerned about Takuma and Kimashi. They've known Ari longer than I have.

Or shall I say _knew?_

No person in the 'group' was brave enough to break the silence with their words, so everyone dealt with the painful silence until it was washed away for us. 

"ZAKU ABUMI VS SHINO ABURAME!"

Everyone turned towards the sound of the proctor's voice, who had announced the start of the next match. Shino was fighting some foreign kid from the Hidden Sound Village, but at this point in time, it didn't matter much to me.

"Who's that strange kid down there?" I asked the question without giving it much thought since my mind had been endlessly spinning in circles like a tornado in the countryside. My head was aching from all of the over thinking that I was doing, but there wasn't much that I could do about it.

"Shino?" Tenten asked.

"No, the other one." 

"Nobody knows him personally, but I think Lee ran into him and his cell in the forest," Tenten responded with a small glance over to her teammate in spandex. "Other than the times that you two have fought, this was the only time I've seen him defeated on the ground like that."

_Excuse me?_

My eyes moved from the fight below to Lee's averted gaze. "What's she talking about?" He continued to avoid making eye contact with me, which didn't help his case any further. "Rock, what is she talking about?"

The use of his first name caught his attention rather quickly, and he actually jumped slightly as he heard it. He started fiddling with his hands in an attempt to block me out, but he knew that it was pointless. "Sakura needed help. And I promised that I would protect her with my life!" He glanced over at Sakura with a light blush, winking at her before he continued (Sakura throwing a huge fit). "I was already worn out, and I did not think it through. I'm sorry!" He bowed at me, staring down at his sandaled feet. As he was coming back up, I knocked him on the head, just to give him a piece of my mind.

"Damn right, you're sorry! The last thing I need is to kick some stranger's ass because you're protecting your _useless_ lover." Lee grabbed his head, looking at me with a shocked expression. "I know that you wanna protect her and all, but could you at least do so a little less recklessly?"

"Sorry!"

"Hmph."

Sakura was still fuming in the background from my insult, but no one really paid it any mind as we watched the Sound ninja be dragged away by medical ninja _without his arms._

Shino, what the fuck? 

Shino looked as nonchalant as ever as he stood with his hands shoved into his pockets. Clearly, the match had gone in his favor.....

He made his way back up to the spectator railings as the board flashed the next two candidates. 

"MISUMI TSURUGI VS KANKURO!"

Two unknown ninjas made their way down to the arena, ready for the fight ahead. One was wearing all black, with something wrapped in bandages on his back, and the other had large, circular glasses with a mask nearly covering everything but his eyes.

Who cares?

Turning away from the two ninjas down below, I JUST NOW noticed that Sasuke and Kakashi were gone. "Wait, wut? Where's Kakashi and the Uchiha emo?"

"They left right after Sasuke's match; weren't you paying attention?"

"No."

Oh well. 

Even more battles.

Inside and out.


	35. Light And Dark

After the Reed Richards looking motherfucker got rekt by the black cat dude, the match was once again declared over. 

"Do I have to stay here and watch the whole thing? I don't even know a lot of-----"

"SAKURA HARUNO VS INO YAMANAKA!"

"-----Never mind." 

The two feminine rivals went down into the arena for their match. The two glared one another down before beginning to fight. It was really boring at first, and I only started to pay attention when Ino cut her ponytail off. 

"Ooooh, Blondie cut her hair, shit is goin' down."

She tossed her hair down onto the ground in front of her, leading right up to Sakura's feet. This didn't seem like much, but it ended up being a lot. Ino went to go for her 'Mind Transfer Jutsu', which Sakura went to dodge, but Ino used it on the hair on the ground and got her anyways.

"GO INO!"

"Faith, what the heck?!"

"Sakura is useless anyway! Might as well cheer for someone that actually has a chance. So, YOU GO, INO!!"

Ino was now in Sakura's mind, and her obvious plan was to get Sakura to seem like she had forfeit. Sakura's hand slowly raised into the air, and the smirk on her face showed Ino's confidence........

"C'MON, SAKURA! YOU CAN DO IT!!" Naruto cheered. "BEAT INO INTO NEXT WEEK!"

_So that's how this is gonna be._

"YA' GOTTA BEAT BILLBOARD BROW, INO! DON'T GIVE IN!" I shouted right after Naruto.

"SAKURA, YOU'RE A LOT STRONGER THAN THIS! GET HER OUTTA YOUR HEAD!"

"SAKURA IS JUST A LIL' BITCH, INO! TAKE HER DOWN!"

"THAT'S RUDE!"

"REALLY DON'T CARE!"

Our words didn't do _shit_ since Sakura broke free. They then knocked each other out. It was a tie. Shit. ((Great description))

The two were carried up the stairs and carefully placed against the walls to allow them to rest until they woke up.

"Idiots." I was going to prod Sakura with my foot, but disapproving looks from everyone told me otherwise. Even Kakashi looked at me.........

Wait......

Kakashi?

"What the hell, when did you get back? Where did you go in the first place? Where's the emo-----"

"-----That's none of your concern, just to answer the second question. Second of all, I got back a few minutes ago, if you weren't paying attention _as usual._ And finally, Sasuke is resting in the hospital, where he belongs. Happy?"

"Overjoyed."

"KENJI TATSUO VS SENRI ETSUKO!"

The odd matchup easily grabbed the attention of everyone in the stands. Sure, once the preliminaries started, it became 'every man for himself', but damn. This was unexpected.

The two managed to enter the arena, and by simply looking at the both of them, you could tell that they were EXACT opposites. Kenji, with his dark hair and evil vibe against Senri, who had the innocent and bright look to him. Kenji, looking at his nervous teammate with cold and uncaring eyes, yet Senri, looking at his bold teammate with worried and concerned eyes.

The light and the dark.

"Begin."

Kenji didn't waste a second; he weaved hand signs in the blink of an eye and didn't hesitate to injure his partner. "WATER STYLE: PIERCING SPEAR!" A spear made of water was hurled in Senri's direction, sending Senri into a panic. He quickly lunged to the side, dropping painfully onto the floor as the spear impaled the wall behind him.

"K-Kenji!" Senri exclaimed, "You could've killed me!"

"I know." 

The response seemed to get into Senri's head, and he blinked several times to makes sense of the new information. "You don't care, do you?!"

"Not at all."

This bothered Senri even more, as he stumbled to his feet. He raised his shaky hands in front of him, ready to weave hand signs, but he seemed to reject the thought completely.

He didn't want to hurt Kenji.

Kenji was his teammate.

"C'MON, YOU 'LIL CINNAMON ROLL!! YOU GOTTA WIN THIS!"

Senri's eyes locked with mine as he listened to my 'nickname'. A light blush coated his cheeks as he stuttered his words. "B-But...... But, Faith......."

"Don't worry about him! It'll be fine! Don't forget about that 'dream' of yours!"

"My........ My dream.......?"

"Yeah! Remember?"

 

** ** **

 

Takuma was still chasing me, desperately attempting to snatch his glasses back from me. They were currently on my face, as I looked through them just to see how 'blind' he was.

"Daaaamn, Takuma! What is up with your eyes?"

"Piss off, you fuckin' midget! Give 'em back!"

"You gotta beg for 'em~!"

"Nope."

"Guess you aren't getting them back then!"

"GRRR!"

My attempts to run from Takuma were utterly ruined as I turned quickly and bumped into someone. I didn't fall or anything, but it did stop me and allow Takuma to grab his glasses back.

"S-Sorry! I....... I didn't mean to-------"

"-------Oi! No prob! Sa... Su... Spaghetti..."

"S-Senri."

"Senri!"

He smiled a little, but it instantly faded when he saw the looks on Kimashi's and Takuma's faces. "Umm...... I think...... I g-gotta go......."

"What? Why?!"

He looked away nervously, and I tried to find the source of his insecurities. Once I spotted Takuma's and Kimashi's looks, I made sure to give them a piece of my mind.

"OI, DON'T PICK ON THIS 'LIL CUPCAKE."

"Don't tell me what to do! Besides...... He's one of _them."_ Takuma was cleaning his glasses off with his shirt, and his hair was _just_ covering his eyes. "They're untrustworthy, even Senri. He could be actin' or something." He placed his glasses back on his face so that he could see, and looked Senri up and down.

"But...... He's so innocent......." I easily grabbed Senri's face with my hands and began to massage/squish his cheeks. "He seems harmless! He wouldn't hurt a fly!"

"Or so he says. He could be just as merciless as Kenji...."

"Th-That's not true!" Senri squeaked out but gulped when Takuma looked at him. "I....... I just........ I just wanna be friends..............." He fiddled with his hands and looked down at them to avoid meeting his gaze. "K-Kenji..... Is different....... He used to be nice... But now he's mean......." He looked down at the ground through the corner of his eyes and muttered, "I just........ Wanna be friends with everyone........ Even Kenji... And Akyra...... And..... And Faith....... And Kyo-Sensei...... And you and Kimashi......."

"I'LL BE YOUR FRIEND!" I nearly yelled in his ear, as my arm shot into the air. "WE CAN HANG OUT, EAT RAMEN, AND DO WHATEVER!"

He looked shocked by this, but a genuine smile appeared on his face. "Th-Thank you......"

"And, hey! I'm sure if you try hard enough, Kenji and Akyra will be your friends too! Follow your dreams!"

"You...... You think so.....?"

"Of course!"

"I'll t-try my best!"

 

** ** **

 

"I............ I remember........."

"Of course you do! Now, you have to have confidence in yourself, and in your abilities! Go for it!"

Senri swallowed the lump in his throat and shakily nodded his head in acknowledgment. He raised his hands in front of him at the same time as Kenji did, and..............

"WATER STYLE: PIERCING SPEAR!"

"WIND STYLE: TORNADO SPIN!"

Kenji sent another water spear at Senri, but Senri's jutsu created an actual tornado that spun the spear around and shot it flying into the wall above a random cell's head (scaring the shit outta them in the process). Kenji's eyes followed his spear carelessly, which allowed Senri to rush up to him with his fist drawn.

"PLEASE DON'T HATE MEEEE!!" Senri stopped RIGHT in front of Kenji, and Kenji's face turned from careless to shocked as Senri easily uppercut him and sent him flying up. He fell to the ground painfully, and his nose was pouring blood.

Senri.

Fucking.

Etsuko.

Just.

Rekt.

Kenji.

Fucking.

Tatsuo.

HILARIOUS.

For a kid who seems hella nervous, he sure knows how to kick ass with Taijutsu.

Kenji hopped back onto his feet and glared daggers at his anxious teammate. Senri seemed frozen with fear, and he was shaking from head to toe nervously.

_"How dare you."_

Kenji's voice had dropped several octaves, and the look in his eyes was enough to kill a man. "You've made a mistake, you pitiful brat, and now I'm going to put you in your place."

"K-Kenji, wait----"

"----SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"

_**"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"** _

Senri painfully dropped to his knees, screeching in pain as he clutched his head carefully. His eyes were shut tight, and his hands were now pulling out his hair (he wasn't succeeding, thankfully) with an iron grip. "STOP IT; KENJI PLEASE, STOP!!!"

Kenji's eyes were staring harshly down at Senri's quivering body, gritting his teeth together so that his sharp 'fangs' were visible to everyone. He acted relentlessly; whatever he was doing to Senri had to be _bad._

"KENJI, LEAVE HIM ALONE!!"

Kenji looked up at me with hatred flooding his eyes; Senri continued to writhe on the ground in front of him, and he didn't seem concerned in the least.

"YOU'VE ALREADY WON, YOU DIRTY BASTARD! LET HIM GO! OR I'LL COME DOWN THERE MYSELF!!"

"Oh, really?"

"YOU FUCKIN' SHITSTAIN!!!" Ari and Kakashi were holding me back by my arms just before I could lunge down there at him. "YOU LITTLE BITCH!! JUST YOU WAIT, WHEN THIS THIRD ROUND STARTS, I'M KNOCKING YOU INTO NEXT YEAR! YA' HEAR ME?!" My legs were curled around the railing, refusing to let the two men pull me away.

This was the last straw.

With a little help from Guy-Sensei, I was pulled from the railing and restrained until I promised not to do anything rash. My heart was slowing down from its previous rapid pace, and my breathing was becoming evener. Thankfully, Senri was released from whatever Kenji had trapped him in, but the damage was so severe that Senri's ears had started bleeding. Medical ninja took him away, and once more, battles were continued.

I guess that sometimes.........

Sometimes the dark conquers the light.


	36. Blondie And Dog Breath... And More?

After Senri and Kenji's battle, Tenten was called down to the arena to fight 'Temari', who seemed to be another sand ninja. The match was pretty much over once it had started, and soon, Tenten was rekt.

Following that match, Shikamaru soon followed suit, fighting a female sound ninja named Kin. He seemed to be struggling at first, but, at the end of it all, he ended up giving her a concussion. 

Great.

"NARUTO UZUMAKI VS KIBA INUZUKA!"

_FUCKIN' MUTT._

_HE LEFT ME IN A TREE._

"Naruto, I want you to knock the hell out of this guy for me, alright? Beat him into a pile of puppy chow. Cool?"

"You got it, no problemo!"

Naruto raced down eagerly to begin his fight, and his dreams were soon fulfilled. The match began almost immediately, and it seemed at first as if Kiba had it. 

"NARUTO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! BEAT HIS ASS!!!!"

"I'm TRYING!!"

"YOU AREN'T TRYING HARD ENOUGH!!"

"GRR!"

Naruto tried with all his might to overthrow Kiba, but nothing important started to happen until near the end. And, finally, he managed to take Kiba down. 

"Hey, you actually did something good."

"Shut up......"

"HINATA HYUGA VS NEJI HYUGA!"

This was a shocker.

I knew the both of them considerably well, and if by well you meant not at all, that's what it would be. Hinata was always so quiet and shy, so it wasn't easy having a full conversation with her. Neji, on the other hand, never spoke to me at all without reason. The only ways that he would speak to me as if there was a major emergency, or if it were a certain ridicule that he couldn't hold in. He was a cocky asshole.

I was rather uninterested in their fight, never once paying attention to them, or even when the others began to speak of them. The only thing interesting about them was their gentle fighting style and Byakugan.

"Do I have to stay here and watch this?"

"It's preferable," Kakashi responded. 

"Blah..."

My mind was wandering away from everything in front of me, traveling to the deepest depths of my mind. The deaths of my teammates were still lingering on my thoughts, and it was hard to stay focused on the things in front of me.

"Kakashi......" I muttered his name almost silently, only trying to get his attention alone.

I could feel his eye on me, staring me down as he grunted quietly to acknowledge that he heard me. 

"When you left with Sasuke," my voice was barely above a whisper as I watched Hinata coughed up a little bit of blood, "it was for that curse mark on his neck, wasn't it?" He didn't answer at first, which confirmed my suspicions about it. 

Sasuke lived, and Kimashi didn't.

"That's what I thought....." 

"Faith," he started, "there's only a ten percent chance of surviving it. So don't beat yourself up over it in the first place."

"Kimashi _died_ because of it, and you want me to just _accept_ it?"

"That's not what I said."

"You might as well have said so," we locked eyes, and Kakashi gave me a knowing look as if he's been down this road before, "I feel like there's something you aren't telling us. Are you hiding something?" 

Kakashi exhaled sharply and ran his hand through his spiky, silver hair. "Yeah, you read it clear as day from my 'eye' didn't you?" He seemed like he was trying to dismiss the subject, joking about it so he didn't have to delve into it. Once he noticed my stoic expression, he knew it was a lost cause. "Look, it wasn't anything major, so don't worry about it."

"Your body language says otherwise." 

"Sigh........ Listen, the last thing we need is for you to lash out recklessly."

"The only reason I'd 'lash out recklessly' is because you keep stalling and avoiding the answer."

"Do you promise not to freak out?"

"Sure."

He looked cautiously around the room, seemingly looking for something. "Orochimaru showed up right after I sealed Sasuke's curse mark......." He looked apprehensive like Orochimaru would simply lunge from the shadows. "Thankfully, it didn't end in a fight......." He ran his fingers over his headband without thinking about it, his gaze clouded over as he got lost in his thoughts.

"GAARA VS ROCK LEE!"

For some reason, Lee looked mildly disappointed at the announcement for his fight, but he went down anyway.

"YOU CAN DO IT, LEE!!"

He didn't even turn to face me, he simply raised his arm high into the air and gave a thumbs up.

"KICK HIM IN THE ARSE!!! PUNCH HIM IN THE GROIN!!! GIVE HIM A SICK UPPERCUT!!!"

"Faith, you need to chill-------" Ari started.

"-------SHUT UP, I'M RELEASING BUILT UP ANGER AND FRUSTRATION!!!

"GET HIM GOOD, LEE!!! KNOCK HIM DEAD!!! SHOW HIM SOME OF THAT 'ROCK' HARD DETERMINATION!!!" Everybody groaned in response to my terrible pun, and I couldn't resist the urge to laugh.

The battle between the two of them was unlike any other. Rock was relentless in his attacks, as he dealt blow after blow. They were easily blocked by Gaara's sand. Gaara had a stoic expression as if the entire match was nothing more than a childish game. 

"C'mon, Lee. Finish him off....."

Lee, as if he heard my demands, charged up the statue from before and stopped once he had reached the top. He looked to Guy-Sensei for a certain confirmation, and when he received a nod of approval he started to remove the weights from his leg warmers. They dropped to the ground like a meteor that crashed to Earth, sending smoke to fill the air.

"Are you shitting me right now? Why couldn't I-----"

"-----You still need more practice." 

"Rrgbefba4btuawbvargiabrivbf...."

After his leg weights were hastily discarded on the arena floor, Lee's speed was INSANE. He was finally breaking through the sand and attacking. Eventually, Lee started to open the Eight Inner Gates, and he even used an unfamiliar move. He began to run circles around Gaara repeatedly, using the bandages on his arms to wrap Gaara up and spun around at an incredible speed, crashing onto the ground _head first._

"ALRIGHT!!!! YOU GO, LEE!!" I wasn't the only one who seemed ecstatic, and nearly everyone around me seemed overjoyed except for the fact that......

"What the......?!"

Everyone stared down at 'Gaara' on the floor in curiosity, watching as his body crumbled away into bits and pieces of sand.

_He had escaped the move._

"This is crazy! He's so much better than me, and I don't like it!" 

Even though Gaara had escaped Lee's move, it still angered/amazed me at how strong he was. His speed was incredible; you couldn't even see him in his movements, and now? That move had rendered me speechless. 

Lee was slower in his movements, and he looked as if he was in a lot of pain. Thankfully, he wasn't too severely injured, and yet another look was passed between Lee and Guy-Sensei as Sensei gave the go-ahead for another trick for Rock to use.

_The Eight Inner Gates._

Lee's immense power nearly threw me off; I was never capable of something like this!

"How come-----"

"-----You don't just learn this in a day, Faith. You only went over the basics," Guy-Sensei glanced down at my astonished being before continuing, "and Lee has been at this for years. He's a genius at Taijutsu!" His words amazed me even further at what exactly that Rock was doing. Years of training and THIS is the result? Gaara can't even keep up! He's so strong now! 

_Maybe if I had tried harder to learn that jutsu, Takuma and Kimashi wouldn't be dead._

Realization crashed over me like an unexpected wave on the coast, and it wasn't something that could be easily washed away. Maybe if I had trained more, and dicked around less, I could've been strong enough. But instead of training, I ate ramen. Instead of training, I made jokes. Instead of training, I pulled pranks. And what was the result? My team is dead. And, I know that Ari-Sensei doesn't blame me for anything, but I can't help but feel like everything is my fault........

Another crash startled me from over thinking, and once more Lee had sent Gaara into the ground. This time, it wasn't a clone that had gotten attacked. It was the real thing.

Both of them were having trouble moving; Gaara was laying on his back with his head towards Lee, attempting to control his sand. Lee, on the other hand, was suffering the consequences of opening up to the fifth gate. His muscles had to be shouting painfully at him, probably ripped to absolute shreds as he tried his absolute best to crawl away from the evil ginger. Slowly, but surely, Gaara's sand was creeping towards Lee, and eventually, the sand grabbed ahold of Lee's left arm and leg, and...........

_**Crack!** _

_His arm and leg were crushed..._

My breathing had come to an abrupt halt as I stared down at the mess before me. My body had started to move on its own, despite everyone's calls to come back. Guy-Sensei had the same idea, and in the end, both of us had landed in front of Lee's unconscious body. Guy-Sensei had his arm up, not only to knock away the sand but to block me from doing any harm.

"Don't, Faith.........."

"Look at what he did. Move your arm and let me at him."

"It's over now, Faith. I-----"

Several gasps from the crowd silenced the both of us as our heads turned to the sight behind us.

_Lee was still standing._

Guy-Sensei pushed past me without meaning to and stood in front of Lee in a concerned manner.

I couldn't look away from this 'Gaara' kid and his dark looks that he was giving. He smirked at me, which threw me over the edge as I ran at him.

"THAT'S **IT!!!"**

Before I could actually land a hit, several Jonin landed in front of me and grabbed me, restraining my arms and legs the best they could.

"JUST WAIT, YOU COCKY, GINGER FUCK! I'M GONNA GET YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID!!!" Farther and farther away I was pulled from Gaara, and it was the worst time to do so as well.

_"I'm afraid he'll never be able to fight again....."_

 

A new wave of hatred hit me like a slap in the face. "DAMN YOU, GAARA! I'M GONNA BREAK YOUR GODDAMN LIMBS, AND SEE JUST HOW YOU LIKE IT!!! I'LL RIP YOU TO SHREDS!!! FUCK!!!!!!"

Gaara watched, my words of venom entertaining him further. He turned his back on me, disappearing into the stands just as I was removed from the arena.


	37. Memories Can Be Painful

I wasn't allowed back into the fight area until I was calmed down. I was restrained for a while, but eventually, I was trusted to go back inside.  
     
By the time I had returned, the last match had finished, resulting in Choji's loss. The winners were gathered in a line, standing beside one another and holding small slips of paper.  
     
"Since you were the last one over here, you got the number nine paper." A Jonin stated.  
     
"Number nine? For what?"  
     
"For the next round match ups."  
     
"Oh."  
     
I looked around at everyone who was holding slips of paper and tried to find the person who I was fighting. When that didn't work, I leaned over to Shikamaru and looked down at his slip of paper.  
     
"Hey, Shikamaru? Who got number eight? Do you know?"  
     
He looked stumped for a minute but then nodded his head in the direction of the person. "I dunno his name; I've forgotten it already. But it's that guy right there."  
     
My eyes drifted to the direction that Shikamaru had pointed out and I nearly died at the sight.  
     
 _Kenji_ _._  
     
 _Kenji_ _Tatsuo_ _was_ _my_ _opponent_ _for_ _the_ _next_ _match_ _._

  
** ** **

     
Everyone was released for their month of training, and I was instantly stumped. What should I do? How should I train? Will I have a mentor? What the fuck is Kenji's problem? Am I even strong? What about my teammates? What crawled up Kenji's ass and died? These questions attacked my poor brain, and I wasn't ready for it. For now, it would probably be best if I went home and relaxed......  
     
I started to walk home, passing the ramen shop on the way. I was tempted to go inside, but painful memories prevented that.  
     
 _The_ _day_ _when_ _I_ _ate_ _ramen_ _with_ _my_ _cell_ _._  
     
I can remember how frustrated they all looked when I had my eating contest with Naruto and they had to pay for it. Ari took most of the responsibility, but the brothers were still 'robbed'.  
     
I shook my head gently, trying to shake the sad thoughts from my mind, which didn't help anything as I stared down at my muddy shoes.  
     
 _We_ _walked_ _down_ _this_ _road_ _after_ _eating_ _......_  
     
Takuma continued to mess with my green jumpsuit that was sticking to my body, and Kimashi was trying to control the situation.  
     
I reached the fork in the road and looked at the one opposite of my own.  
     
 _We_ _split_ _ways_ _here_ _..._  
     
The three of us waved goodnight at each other, and Takuma gave me that hug which resulted in a jumpsuit slap.  
     
I continued down my road, walking along in utter silence.  
     
 _I_ _stole_ _Takuma's_ _glasses_ _here_ _......_  
     
Takuma was chasing me around like a wild animal, and I accidentally bumped into Senri.  
     
Once I reached my house, I fished for the key that was under the welcome mat and slowly creaked my front door open.  
     
 _My_ _cell_ _stopped_ _here_ _before_ _the_ _Chunin_ _Exams_ _._  
     
Ari and Kimashi had admired the many photos that littered the walls, and Takuma had rushed to the bathroom like an idiot.  
     
 _Why_ _do_ _I_ _have_ _to_ _remember_ _these_ _things_ _?_  
     
 _It_ _hurts_ _._  
     
I was finally alone in my house; the place I felt most comfortable. And yet, I didn't feel comfortable at all. I was finally alone, which left me to deal with my thoughts, but they were just as uninviting as the silence that surrounded me.   
     
 _Why_ _does_ _everything_ _I_ _care_ _for_ _ **die**_ _?_  
     
 _Why_ _does_ _everything_ _I_ _care_ _for_ _ **break**_ _?_  
     
 _It's_ _as_ _though_ _the_ _world_ _itself_ _has_ _turned_ _against_ _me_ _._  
     
 _And_ _it's_ _turning_ _me_ _against_ _the_ _world_ _._

  
** ** **  _The_ _Next_ _Day_

     
Gathered altogether, dressed in pure black outfits was every ninja that had known Takuma and Kimashi. Their family was also there, and it was painful to watch their mother break down at the sight before her. The sky above was even gray as if to further show how dark and depressing this day was.

How fitting.  
     
Everyone was holding two beautiful white flowers; one for Takuma, and one for Kimashi, so that they could place them in front of their caskets. One by one, flowers were dropped in front of the picture frames of the two boys, and when it came to be my turn, I lay two black roses down.  
     
 _ **"**_ _ **I'm**_ _ **so**_ _ **sorry**_ _ **I**_ _ **couldn't**_ _ **protect**_ _ **you**_ _ **."**_

  
** ** **

  
     
Shortly after the funeral was held, rain began to pour from the sky. It seemed like it wasn't going to pass for a while, so I ducked underneath a large tree to try and wait it out.  
     
The sky...  
     
It's so beautiful......  
     
I was distracted from the real world at the time until someone caught my attention.  
     
"Aren't you........ Faith?"  
     
The woman before me had long, curly hair in a light shade of brown, with beautiful green eyes that were staring directly at me. The man behind her grabbed my attention too, with his messy dark brown hair, and deep brown eyes, with the untamed stubble that littered his features.  
     
"Y-Yes..... Yes, I am. You must be-------"  
     
"-------Takuma and Kimashi's parents." The father finished.  
     
"It's a pleasure meeting you both."  
     
"We can say the same." The mother gave a sad smile, as she extended her hand towards me. "You seem like such a lovely girl......... I'm Ayano. And this is my husband, Taro."  
     
I shook both of their hands politely and looked at the both of them with a pained expression. "Mr. and Mrs. Tatsumi, I am so sorry-----"  
     
"-----It isn't your fault," Taro said, placing a comforting hand on Ayano's shoulder, "it was Orochimaru's. He's the one-----"  
     
"----- _Don't_ _say_ _it_ _._ "  
     
Ayano placed her hand on her husband's and squeezed gently, trembling ever so slightly from the thought of it. Taro instantly got the message, and fell silent, leaving the beating down rain to ease the silence.  
     
"Would you like to come over for some tea? Oh, I mean......... I understand that you just met the both of us and all......... But, I'd love to get to know the girl who worked with my boys... If you don't mind...."  
     
"I'd love to, Mrs. Tatsumi."  
   

"Please, call me Ayano."

  
** ** **

     
The walk to the Tatsumi clan's compound was filled with cute baby stories and playful laughter while stories were told back and forth to one another. Another baby story was being told  _just_ as we arrived in front of a  _beautiful_ house.  
     
"-------And Takuma jumped from the bath, completely nude, and he ran and hid under his bed! He actually believed his father when he said there was a monster underneath all of the bubbles!" Ayano giggled as she looked up at her husband, who was giving a gentle smile. "It took us all night to convince him to get back into the bath; he was so terrified!" She looked back at me with a pained smile, while her husband fished for his keys. "They were such good boys; even Takuma. They helped keep me happy." She looked strained for a moment, and her eyes moved to the ground below her. "Even after......." She couldn't find the courage to finish her sentence, so she started a new one, which was just as painful. "First Lukia, and now my boys?"  
     
The comforting words that I wanted to speak seemed to get lodged in my throat, but it wouldn't have mattered either way, as it was drowned out by the sound inside of the house. Several members of the Tatsumi Clan were gathered here, mainly for comfort after the funeral, as well as ensuring that Ayano and Taro would make it through this hardship.  
     
"Ayano, Taro, I'm so sorry for your loss."  
     
"You two must be heartbroken......"  
     
"Are you going to be okay?"  
     
The crowd of people was making me uneasy, but at the same time, it provided comfort to know that the two were cared for. So many had crowded the home, and everywhere you looked, people were chatting somberly. Several picture frames in the room grabbed my attention, especially the ones that were placed with care above the fireplace. Several family photos were there, along with solo pictures of simple things, like Kimashi reading a book (for the first time, by the looks of it), or Takuma holding a bug up to the camera that he had just found, and an unfamiliar little girl, placing ribbons and makeup onto her 'willing' father. Right in the center though, a picture frame reading 'family' had a picture of a young Takuma and Kimashi, holding a tiny bundle of pink blankets.  
     
"I'm sorry for all of this; I wasn't expecting such a crowd to be here." Ayano apologized, looking at the swarm of people. "If you want to leave, I'd understand. I'm not much of a 'people' person either."  
     
"It's not that big of an issue," I rushed out, "you invited me as your guest, and I think it's rude to just leave as soon as I've arrived!" I was waving my hands back and forth pathetically, trying to put off my nervous attitude. "I can stay, honest!"  
     
She giggled at my flushed face, giving me yet another kind smile. "I'm glad that you were their partner, Faith. They would always talk about you; now I can see why......" She looked me up and down for a moment before continuing, "it's a shame that we had to meet under these circumstances...... W-with the both of them........ D-dead......" She broke away from our eye contact and looked down to the floor as she choked out her words.  
     
 _"_ _They're_ _not_ _dead_ _."_  
     
Ayano seemed puzzled for a moment as she tried to make sense of my words. When that didn't work, she asked in a shaky voice, "w-what do you mean?"  
     
"Well," I smiled, but you could see that it was full of pain, "when someone dies, they're never really gone. As long as you  _remember_ them." I glanced back to the photos that were above the fireplace and one photo, that I hadn't noticed before, nearly broke my heart.  
     
 _The_ _team_ _photo_ _._

  
** ** **

  
     
"I don't wanna stand in the center! Takuma won't shove off!" I exclaimed, watching my purple-haired Sensei sigh.  
     
"Look," Ari-Sensei stated, "the smallest - which is usually the female - stands in the center. The other two members stand beside the Sensei, but not exactly, and finally, the Sensei stands in the back." He shrugged in a defeated sort of way and rubbed the back of his neck. "That's just how it is! Sorry."  
     
"But, Sensei!"  
     
"Ssssshhhhhhh. Just stand here and smile."

     
"Alright....."  
     
Perfectly aligned, if I do say so myself. I was standing in the center as planned, Takuma behind me on my left, Kimashi behind me on my right, and Ari-Sensei directly behind all three of us. The man in charge of the camera glanced at all of us before.........  
     
 _Snap_ _!_  
     
" **I** **KNEW** **IT** **!!** " I recoiled from the slap that was administered on my back just as the cameraman took the picture. Takuma was  _dying_ from laughter; doubled over and wheezing as he held his stomach. " **I** **KNEW** **HE** **WOULD** **DO** **IT** **,** **SENSEI** **!** **I** **TOLD** **YOU** **!!** "   
     
"Takuma, we've talked about this before....."   
     
"YOU CAN'T JUST CALMLY TALK ABOUT IT LIKE THAT!!!!"  
     
"Sigh..... Okay...... Takuma, straighten out or I'll beat the shit out of you, okay? And I have plenty of built up frustration (mainly from you three.....) that could be released."  
     
 _Priceless_ _._  
     
We all lined up once more, perfectly placed, with everyone behaving, as........  
     
 _ACHOO!_  
     
The top of my head was  _covered_ in saliva and mucus as Ari's hand instinctively went to wipe his mouth and nose.  
     
"S-Sorry, Faith!"  
     
"WHY ME?!"  
     
"Can I  _please_ take the picture?"  
     
"CHILL YOUR FACE; I'M BUSY!!!"

  
** ** **

     
I'm still curious how we managed to pull it off so nicely. Granted, Takuma still pulled off his 'bunny ears behind the head' trick, but that wasn't important anymore.  
     
 _"_ _I'm_ _glad_ _I_ _got_ _to_ _work_ _with_ _them_ _,_ _Ayano_ _._ _I_ _wouldn't_ _have_ _wanted_ _it_ _any_ _other_ _way_ _."_

 


	38. Training To The Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE SONG CAMISADO OR ITS LYRICS! THANK PANIC! AT THE DISCO

Somehow, Ayano managed to make tea, and we had a real conversation before I left. It was raining harder than before, and Ayano insisted that I wait it out, but I had to decline. I had somewhere to be.

  
** ** **

     
"Do you have any lotus blossoms, Ino?"  
     
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure we do. Why? Are you  _getting_ _one_ _for_ _your_ _boyfriend_ _?_ "  
     
"Nice try," I chuckled lightly and held fast to my position on the doormat (Ino wouldn't let me go any further since I was drenched by the rain), "I wanna get a flower for Lee......"  
     
She listened as she searched, looking through dozens of flowers. It took her a while, but eventually, she found them. "How many?"  
     
"Just one."  
     
"Alright, here you go."  
     
"Thank you....."

  
** ** **

     
I paused before entering the hospital doors, wondering if now would be a bad time. He could be gone, sleeping, or  _using_ _the_ _bathroom_. The last thing I wanted was to be some sort of burden, or issue. Deciding to go with my gut, I entered the building, listening to the faint squeak of my shoes making contact with the cool floor. A kind doctor led me to my destination, confirming that there was no going back.  
     
We reached Lee's room in what had felt like forever, but when the door was opened, it felt like the trip was worth it. Although he was asleep, I was glad to have shown up in general, to see him sleeping peacefully. His face was calm, and his breathing was normal, which warmed me up (even though I was soaked from the rain).  
     
"I'll give you some time alone." The nurse who had led me here said.  
     
I looked over Lee's features, a certain song coming to mind.  
     
 ** _Can't_** ** _take_** ** _the_** ** _kid_** ** _from_** ** _the_** ** _fight_** ** _,_** ** _take_** ** _the_** ** _fight_** ** _from_** ** _the_** ** _kid_** ** _._**  
     
I thought back to the match, how Lee had refused to give in, carrying the world on his shoulders.  
     
 ** _You're_** ** _a_** ** _regular_** ** _decorated_** ** _emergency_** ** _,_** ** _the_** ** _bruises_** ** _and_** ** _contusions_** ** _will_** ** _remind_** ** _me_** ** _what_** ** _you_** ** _did_** ** _when_** ** _you_** ** _wake_** ** _._**  
     
Somehow, Lee always managed the extreme. He made gashes look like minuscule paper cuts. I felt guilty; I knew exactly how everything was going to turn out once he used the Eight Inner Gates. Yet, not once did I think,  _'_ _Oh_ _no_ _,_ _that's_ _too_ _dangerous'_ or,  _'_ _I_ _should_ _stop_ _him_ _;_ _he_ _could_ _get_ _hurt'_ _._  Just like everyone else, I was more concerned about his victory than his well being.   
     
 ** _You've_** ** _earned_** ** _your_** ** _place_** ** _atop_** ** _the_** ** _ICU'S_** ** _hall_** ** _of_** ** _fame_** ** _._**  
     
I thought about what Guy-Sensei had said about Lee's injuries. How the bones in both his arm and leg had been crushed into a fine powder.  
     
This was certainly going to be trouble.  
     
 ** _Camera_** ** _caught_** ** _you_** ** _causing_** ** _a_** ** _commotion_** ** _on_** ** _the_** ** _gurney_** ** _again_** ** _._**  
     
Yet, for some reason, I can't feel bad about this. I know Rock Lee. He wouldn't give up after something like this. If anything, it would motivate him more. I can see it now, how he'd sneak away from his hospital room just to go and train with Guy-Sensei in private. The workouts that he would do in this very room just to stay in shape.  _'_ _If_ _I_ _cannot_ _do_ _one_ _hundred_ _pushups_ _,_ _I_ _shall_ _do_ _one_ _hundred_ _sit-ups_ _!',_ he'd say, and I would keep watch for doctors, making sure he didn't get caught.  
     
You can't change Rock Lee.  
     
He's, well, a rock.  
     
The sound of shuffling feet distracted me as I cautiously looked over my shoulder. My thoughts had made me unnecessarily uneasy, and I didn't want to let my guard down for a second. My hand slowly went to grab a kunai from my pouch, but that's when I remembered some vital information.  
     
 _I_ _was_ _still_ _in_ _my_ _funeral_ _clothes_ _._  
     
Weapons were out of the question now, and at this point, I was silently praying for peace.  
     
It was only Guy-Sensei.  
     
Just like me, he still hadn't changed from his funeral clothes and was dripping wet. He looked like a drowned rat, struggling to find that small ray of hope in a world full of nothing but despair. "Faith?" He asked me, once he had noticed my presence. "I didn't expect to find you here."  
     
"Well, here I am. In the flesh."  
     
He gave a weak grin, or rather, weaker than the usual grin. Whether it was the rain or the slightly saddening mood that hung in the air like laundry was unclear, but nonetheless, he grinned at me. His grin faded after a short amount of time, and we were left to endure the tense silence that consumed us like a blanket.  
     
"Guy-Sensei.....?" I started, attempting to break the silence.  
     
"Hmm.........?"  
     
"Please train me."  
     
My words caught him off guard, and I swear his eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "Me? Why would you want me to train you?"  
     
"Ari-Sensei is far too troubled and busy. Plus, you know things that he doesn't."  
     
"Such as.......?"  
     
 **"** **The** **Eight** **Inner** **Gates** **."**  
     
"Faith," he stopped me abruptly, the tone of his voice changing into something more serious, "forget about that jutsu! It's dangerous!"  
     
"You taught it to Lee-----!"  
     
"-----And look how that turned out!" He looked at the subject of his words and his eyes looked discouraged. "I shouldn't have taught it to him! He's hurt because I made that error!" His gaze saddened, as he thought back to painful memories. "I refuse to make the same mistake twice. I refuse to see you in the same situation!"  
     
"Then what are these for, Sensei?! Decoration?!" I lifted the pant leg of my outfit (I hadn't worn the female outfit since I realized how foolish I looked in it) to show him the orange leg warmers underneath. The weights were still in them, but the discomfort of using them was long gone as I had grown into them. "I've been patiently awaiting the day that I could take them off and properly match Lee in strength! Do you know how amazing that would be, Sensei?!"  
     
Guy-Sensei looked abashed at my words, lost in thought as he stared down at the brightly colored leg warmers that hugged my ankles. When he came back to his senses, he looked up at me with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief. "Why are you so obsessed with this? Especially after what happened-----"  
     
"-----Because I want to be strong too!"  
     
He didn't seem to catch my drift, as he stared at me with the same facial expression as before. "What do you mean?"  
     
My voice faltered slightly, my head swarming from all of the over thinking I was doing. I looked down to the floor, thinking about the loved ones that were buried six feet beneath me. "Do you know how hard it is," I started, looking back up to Lee, who hadn't moved from his position, "to go about your life and watch everything you care for _break_ _?_ To watch everything that you touch _disappear_ _?_ To watch the people that mean  _the_ _world_ to you fade away and  _die_ _?_ " I looked down at my hands; the hands that were stained with death and murder. "And knowing that it was all your fault? That's the worst of it. Knowing that you weren't strong enough to stop it." I clenched my fists and glanced at him over my shoulder, trying to contain my anger. "That's why Sensei. I want to learn this jutsu so that I too, just like Lee, can go all out and protect those precious to me."  
     
Realization dawned over Guy-Sensei at this point, as he realized this. I didn't want to learn it for the overwhelming power. I wanted to learn it for the sake of everyone else. A strained sigh managed to part from his lips, and his hand went to rub the back of his neck. "I understand where you're coming from, Faith; I really do! But........... I don't want you in the same situation......"

"Don't worry about  _me_ _,_ " I tilted my head in a pretentious manner, yet my words were anything but: "I don't care if I die or not. Neither should you."   
     
Worry clouded his gaze for a moment, but I paid him no mind. The only thing that mattered to me at this point was his words saying; "I'll teach you."

  
** ** **

     
The very next day was much like the first. A cool, harsh breeze shook the Earth to the core as rain poured from the sky. Like yesterday, I purchased a lotus blossom, made my way towards the hospital, visited Lee (who was sleeping AGAIN), yet, this time, I went to the training field.  
     
When I had finally reached the rolling hills that were beautifully decorated with luscious green grass, Guy-Sensei stood there, arms crossed over his chest and completely oblivious to the downpour. When he saw me, he gave his signature grin, giving me his thumbs up with one eye closed. He seemed like he was back on track, as he acted (and dressed) much like he normally would.  
     
"You've arrived!" He exclaimed ecstatically. "I got here two hours early, so I thought I should test my patience. Thanks to you, now my blood is boiling over the top with the power of youth!" He sounded much happier than he had the day before, which lifted my spirits a little.   
     
"What are we doing today?" I asked him with a faint smile; his happiness and enthusiasm rubbing off on me.  
     
He placed a hand on his hip whilst the other held up a single digit. "We're going to work on opening the first gate: Gate of Opening!" He chuckled after he spoke, letting me know that this wasn't even the worst of it. "Of course, we have to do some warm-up training  _first_ _._ "   
     
"W-Warm-up training?"  
     
"I'm not gonna let you strain yourself without proper warm-ups! What do I look like? A monster?"   
     
 _Kill_ _me_ _._

  
** ** **

     
The warm-ups themselves were enough to make me want to bury myself alive, but since that's usually frowned upon in society, I refrained myself pretty nicely. I grew more and more impatient by the minute, hoping that he'd finally call out something like,  _'_ _Alright_ _!_ _Jokes_ _over_ _!',_ and then we'd finally work on something important. The only thing we were strengthening right now was my undying hatred for everything we were doing.  
     
"You're doing great," he would encourage me, his eyes watching me like a hawk, "just a little more, and you'll be perfect!"   
     
With the last ten sit-ups, I had completely lost every ounce of hope within my pitiful body. Sit-ups, pushups, certain stretches that would surely break my limbs, and even  _the_ _fucking_ _Superman_ _pose_ were just a few of the things that were required of me before I could learn how to work this Taijutsu.  
     
"As you know, when you received your jumpsuit and leg warmers (good times), we went over the basics of the Eight Inner Gates. Remember?" I wasn't exactly on speaking terms with him after my tedious training session, so the nod that I gave him had to be enough. "This time, we're going to work on actually opening it. As you progress, we'll work towards the second gate, then the third gate, and so on. Understand?"   
     
Another nod.  
     
"Great! Time to get our blood pumping!"

  
  


 


	39. Hellos And Goodbyes

Training with Guy-Sensei has proved to be no simple task, and I slowly felt as if I was getting stronger. Sure, the work was tedious, but I started to feel better about myself with each passing day.  
     
Something I haven't felt before.  
     
The both of us decided on a schedule so that I wouldn't KILL myself. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays were the days I'd practice opening the gates. Tuesdays and Thursdays were stretches, workouts,  _regrets_ _._ The weekend was used for time off, but I usually used to train, since I  _didn't_ _have_ _a_ _life_ _anyways_ _._  
     
The day was fairly sunny; the bright light and exhausting heat from the sun was almost welcoming, as it had been raining more often than not. It seemed like a good day to train (it was Saturday) after I had paid my visit to Lee. For some reason, every time I show up, he's sleeping. The whole 'flower a day' thing seemed to get someone's attention though since there was a vase specifically for my lotus blossoms.  
     
I arrived at the hospital with the usual lotus, walking calmly into Lee's room. When I walked into his room, I expected him to be there asleep, or, hopefully, awake and talking. But somehow, what I saw was even worse. Or shall I say,  _didn't_ _see_ _?_  
     
He was gone.  
     
There was no need to panic. He could be in the bathroom. Eating. Who knows? Doctor business, maybe?  
     
_Far_ _from_ _it_ _._  
     
"Lee, please! You have to get back to your room!"  
     
_Sakura_ _?_  
     
I carefully walked over to Lee's window, catching a glimpse of the hospital courtyard outside. A worried nurse, Sakura, Ino, and someone unidentified was swarmed together.  
     
Wait.  
     
Sakura said........  
     
The picture became clearer now, as I finally made sense of the scene in front of me. Lee, dressed in his hospital attire, was currently down in the courtyard (with his injured arm in a damn brace) doing pushups. He was strained; he was sweating heavily and I could see his chest was rising and falling frantically.  
     
He collapsed.  
     
I discarded the flower and let it fall to the floor as I hurried to open the window. When I finally opened it, I jumped out hastily, landing on the ground below. I rushed over, stumbling over my own feet before coming to a halt.  
     
"What happened?!" I scrambled to pick Lee up off of the ground, seeing that he was now unconscious. "Why is he down here?!"  
     
"I-I'm sorry, miss! I........ I left the room for less than a minute-----"  
     
"-----That minute was plenty of time for him to nearly  _kill_ himself!" My rage was boiling over the top, and it was very hard to contain it. "How the hell did he even get down here?! Is no one in this goddamn hospital paying attention?!?!"  
     
"I-I'm so sorry!"  
     
With an unhappy scowl on my face, I helped the nurse carry a limp Lee back into the hospital room.

  
** ** **

     
My mind was too bothered to train today so I decided to just go for a stroll. Everywhere I went, people were chatting up a storm or helping each other out. It felt nice, to be apart of a village that was so beautiful.  
     
Walking near the hot springs in the hopes of the steam clearing my head, I caught a glimpse of a familiar bright, orange jacket with a familiar red symbol.....  
     
"Pervy Sage! C'mon! We don't have all day!"  
     
I tilted my head in confusion, looking for the person he was talking to. The only other person in the area was a HUGE man, with bright white hair that was longer than my expected lifespan.  
     
Wait a minute.......  
     
"Alright, alright...... Just give me a minute, would 'ya?"  
     
_There's_ _no_ _doubt_ _about_ _it_ _!_  
     
The man turned as he put away a small book, revealing his face to my oblivious childhood friend.   
     
_THAT'S_ _JIRAIYA_ _,_ _THE_ _TOAD_ _SAGE_ _?!?!?!?!_  
     
_JIRAIYA_ _THE_ _SANNIN_ _?!?!?!?!_  
     
"NARUTO, WHAT THE FRESH HELL?!?! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT YOU WERE TRAINING WITH SOMEONE SO STRONG?!?!"  
     
The two of them turned to address me, as my sudden outrage nearly startled them. Naruto grinned and laughed, his eyes shut tight.  
     
"Who, Pervy Sage? You must be joking-----"  
     
"-----It's about time someone recognized my talent!" Jiraiya's hands were placed firmly on his hips, letting out a throaty chuckle. "Naruto just doesn't seem to get it!"  
     
I rushed over to the two of them and looked up at him (Jiraiya) with awe. "Holy cow, you never mentioned this at all!" I frantically looked between the two of them, trying to contain all of my excitement. "It's not every day that you run into a Sannin! Can I have an autograph?! Please?!" I took out a kunai, holding it up to him. He glanced at it curiously for a moment, but he eventually pulled out a brush and ink and signed the blade.   
     
"You know, Naruto," Jiraiya stated, handing back my gleaming kunai, "you should be as appreciative as your girlfriend here-----"  
     
"-----SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!!!"  
     
"Touchy subject. I get it."  
     
The two of them together was sure to be a silly combo, you could tell that much. They both clicked together, like a puzzle that needed the last piece. It made me happy, to see Naruto this happy.  
     
It's like this was meant to be.

  
** ** **

     
Jiraiya and Naruto went to go and train, so the three of us bid farewell to one another, leaving me to wonder about what to do. I didn't feel in the mood to train, so I continued on with my stroll.  
     
After walking for a while, I inspected my autographed kunai and smiled at the thought. As I was looking down at my kunai, I didn't watch where I was going and nearly knocked over the person in front of me.  
     
"WAHH!"  
     
"A-Ah! I'm....... I'm so sorry, Faith! I didn't mean it!"  
     
_Senri_ _._  
     
I caught my balance thankfully and managed not to drop anything on the ground as I looked over Senri. He was wearing casual clothing rather than his ninja gear, and he didn't seem to be doing anything important.  
     
"It's fine," I managed, putting the kunai away to avoid further harm, "I'm just glad you're okay."  
Senri's nervous smile appeared on his face, reassuring me that everything was fine. He rubbed his arm a little, mainly out of nervousness, and averted his gaze.  
     
"A-Are you busy?" He asked. "I uh..... I-I've been looking for Akyra all day, but......... I haven't seen her anywhere........ Can you help me?"  
     
"Of course. Today is my day off. Might as well do something useful."  
     
"Th-Thank you!"  
     
"No problem."

  
** ** **

     
The both of us searched the village for any sign of the bright-haired female, but we had no such luck finder her. She was doing a very good job of hiding from the both of us, or, just going about her daily business without bumping into us. Senri and I were getting pretty tired of being unsuccessful, so I offered to buy the both of us an ice cream. We were currently eating them whilst chatting and searching, but nothing beneficial really came out of it.  
     
"Why are you looking for Akyra in the first place?" I asked, finally reaching the cone of my ice cream. "Do you need her for something?"  
     
"We-Well..... She hasn't shown her face around for a while, so I....... I was sorta worried....." He looked down at the chocolate ice cream in his cone for a moment until he realized what he said, then he stammered in a rushed tone: "N-Not that she can't take care of herself! I'm just wondering where she is, that's all.....!"  
     
"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll find her. She should be SOMEWHERE in the village."  
     
"R-Right......" This time, Senri didn't sound so sure.  
     
To be honest, I wasn't sure who I was promising.  
     
Senri, or myself.

  
** ** **

     
It was now nighttime, and I was close to giving up. The only reason that I didn't was that Senri seemed completely lost and desperate. Several people were watching the both of us curiously, but I tried to ignore all of it. This girl was causing so much trouble, and she wasn't even here!  
     
The both of us started heading for the forest outside the village gates, hoping to find some trace of Akyra in here. Eventually, we came across SOMEONE, since talking could be heard from a few feet away.  
     
_"_ _You've_ _spent_ _all_ _day_ _running_ _from_ _me_ _,_ _haven't_ _you_ _?"_  
     
_That_ _voice_ _sounds_ _so_ _familiar_ _......._  
     
"What do you want from me,  _Kenji_ _?_ "  
     
Senri tensed up beside me as he heard the two speak, seemingly nervous about what was going to happen. He pulled me behind a tree and put his finger to his lips to silence me.  
     
_"_ _You're_ _a_ _disgrace_ _,_ _you_ _lowlife_ _._ _Losing_ _to_ _an_ _amateur_ _."_  
     
"That was a while ago; how can you still-----"   
     
"We don't have space for  _losers_ in our cell, Akyra."  
     
"So, what are you gonna do about it?"  
     
A pause......  
     
_"_ _Glad_ _you_ _asked_ _."_  
     
"Faith," Senri whispered, seeming rather urgent, "p-promise me that no matter what happens, you won't come out from hiding."  
     
"Senri, what-----"  
     
"Promise me, Faith. Please." He held a certain determination within his eyes, hiding and masking the nervous Genin I knew so well. He clamped his hands onto my shoulders and stared deep into my eyes, waiting for my confirmation.  
     
_"_ _I_ _promise_ _."_  
     
_What_ _a_ _mistake_ _._  
     
Senri rushed out and stood in front of Akyra, blocking her from Kenji. For the first time since I had met him, he looked strong and full of courage.  
     
"I won't let you harm her, Kenji!"  
     
Kenji looked abashed, staring at the unwavering expression on Senri's face. It was gone almost as quickly as it had appeared though, and was replaced with his usual stoic expression.  
     
"Are you going to stop me, crybaby?"  
     
"If that's what needs to be done!"  
     
The two stared each other down, neither of them moving an inch while Akyra watched from behind Senri's shoulder.  
     
"Kenji, I know that...... That you're trying to hurt Akyra. But it...... It doesn't have to be this way!" Senri swallowed the lump in his throat and continued on. "You don't have to hurt anyone! You don't have to be angry with yourself anymore!  _You_ _don't_ _have_ _to_ _be_ _second_ _best_ _anymore-----_ "  
     
"-----SHUT UP, YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING!!" Kenji pulled a kunai from his pouch at blinding speed. "IT'S NEVER GONNA HAPPEN, YOU IDIOT! WE'LL NEVER BE FRIENDS! AND YOU'LL NEVER KNOW HOW I FEEL!!!!"  
     
"Kenji, it's gonna be okay-----"  
     
"-----I SAID  **SHUT** **UP** **!** "  
     
The two moved forward at the same time, but each with different intents.  
     
_A_ _kunai_ _was_ _stabbed_ _right_ _through_ _Senri's_ _heart_ _;_ _the_ _heart_ _that_   _cared_ _so_ _much_ _for_ _others_ _that_ _it_ _seemed_ _nearly_ _immortal_ _._ _Even_ _as_ _he_ _moved_ _towards_ _Kenji_ _,_ _he_ _held_ _no_ _hate_ _within_ _his_ _heart_ _._ _Even_ _as_ _the_ _kunai_ _pierced_ _through_ _him_ _,_ _he_ _wrapped_ _his_ _arms_ _around_ _Kenji_ _in_ _a_ _hug_ _._  
     
_**Tragedy**_ _ **has**_ _ **reached**_ _ **out**_ _ **with**_ _ **its**_ _ **unkempt**_ _ **fingernails**_ _ **and**_ _ **scratched**_ _ **away**_ _ **at**_ _ **an**_ _ **innocent**_ _ **life**_ _ **.**_  
     
I wanted to scream, just as I watched the light fade from his eyes. I wanted to cry, just as I watched his limp body fall to the ground. I wanted to lunge, just as I watched Senri's chest remain still. I wanted to  _kill_ _,_ just as I watched Senri lay on the ground. Dead.  
     
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Akyra screeched aloud, further increasing the pain in my chest.  
     
Kenji didn't answer, but he quietly raised his head and looked into Akyra's fearful eyes.  
     
"Die."  
     
Akyra reacted almost instantly, acting as if someone was harshly wringing her brain out. Her ears started bleeding just as Senri's had during the Chunin Exams, but this time, her eyes, her ears, her nose, and even her mouth was leaking blood. She was in so much pain; trying not to allow the blood to bother her, but eventually, it was too much. The pressure was soon increased, and once more, Kenji's teammate dropped dead on the forest floor in front of him.  
     
Something happened to me.  
     
Something within me was yearning for bloodlust.  
     
Something within me wanted to kill.  
     
_And_ _then_ _I_ _blacked_ _out_ _._

  
** ** **

     
When I awoke, it was still dark out. I was laying on the ground in a puddle of blood, confused as all hell.   
     
What happened?  
     
I looked around to see several trees were knocked down, and the ground had even dipped in just slightly, making a dent that held me,  _Senri_ _,_ _and_ _Akyra_ _._  
     
Where was Kenji?

Regardless of what I remembered, I could not hang around any longer. My mind ached; everything that happened felt like a dream, and half of me was begging for it to be so. Something had happened, I could tell that much. There was blood on my face, dried up and making me look deadly. I had no idea of what I should do. I was so afraid. What happened when I blacked out? I stumbled away, lost and confused. I managed to make my way back to my home without disturbing anyone so that I could finally take a bath and relax.

     
When morning arrived, I got up and got dressed in a black tank top with semi-see through skulls, a pair of black jeggings, and a baggy black jacket.  
     
Sunday.  
     
A day to train.  
     
I stumbled towards the training fields, hoping to clear my mind by further exhausting my body. My head hurt like hell, and my pounding headache made my head feel like it was going to burst.  
     
_Where_ _are_ _the_ _bodies_ _now_ _?_  
     
_Does_ _anyone_ _know_ _?_  
     
_Probably_ _not_ _....._  
     
I got to the training field, soon remembering that I needed to get Lee his daily lotus blossom. Before I could turn back, large (and much adult-like) figures stood atop the hill looking at me, like they were  _waiting_ for my arrival. Asuma's cell, Jiraiya and Naruto, and Kurenai's cell had been training, but they had all stopped to see what the ninja was here for.   
     
"Faith?" Ibiki asked as I made my way over.  
     
"Yes, sir?"  
     
His expression was somber, yet intimidating at the same time. He looked at me with regret, but with force as well.

_**  
"** _ _**You** _ __ _**are** _ __ _**under** _ __ _**arrest** _ __ _**for** _ __ _**the** _ __ _**murders** _ __ _**of** _ __ _**Senri** _ __ _**Etsuko** _ __ _**and** _ __ _**Akyra** _ __ _**Katsumi** _ _**."** _


	40. Framed

"You are under arrest for the murders of Senri Etsuko and Akyra Katsumi."   
  
My world stopped.  
  
My breathing was hitched.   
  
I could feel my heartbeat in my throat, suffocating me even further than Ibiki's words.   
  
"W-What........?"  
  
"Senri Etsuko and Akyra Katsumi were found dead in the forest this morning."  
  
"B-But! I didn't-----"  
  
"We have several witnesses who can confirm that you were the last person to hang around with Senri. And, what a coincidence, you were looking for Akyra!"   
  
The people around me seemed to close in, making me feel trapped and afraid. The words that I wished to speak were lodged in my throat. What is there to say, in a situation like this? What can I say that would make them believe me?

"I.... I swear! It wasn't me! It...... It was K-----"  
  
"We'll hear your side of it when we get to where we're getting to. C'mon." Ibiki and another large ninja grabbed my arms, leading me away. My strength seemed to have faded, but it didn't stop me from kicking my feet and fidgeting.   
  
"I DIDN'T DO IT!!" I repeated, over and over again, but to no avail. "I DIDN'T DO IT!!!!"

  
** ** **

  
An empty interrogation room, filled with nothing more than me and my thoughts. Who knows how long I've been sitting here, waiting for someone to show up and release me? No one had stopped by to do or say anything, and I was beginning to have my doubts. It had been an hour or two, and it's a shame that I had decided to go without breakfast.  
  
 _I'm_ _not_ _guilty_ _._  
  
My head was pounding, but there wasn't much I could do. Apparently, the crime scene was so destroyed that the ninja considered me a threat and fully wrapped me up in shackles to prevent me from moving.  
  
"Faith......"  
  
The door to the interrogation room opened, and Ibiki walked over to the table I was sitting at. He sat down in the chair opposite to me and looked at me with stern concern, trying to find the words to say to me. "Why did you do it?" He started, "What did they do?"  
  
"I didn't do it, dammit!!"  
  
"Language."  
  
I struggled to free myself from my restraints, but nothing came out of it. The situation I was in was pissing me off more than it should, and there was nothing I could do to convince them. "It wasn't me!! It was Kenji!! I swear to God-----"  
  
"-----Why would Kenji kill his own team?"  
  
"WHY DON'T YOU ASK THE CHEATING, SCHEMING BASTARD HIMSELF?!?!"  
  
My chains were rattling like nobody's business as I forced myself to squirm to free myself. Ibiki watched with no signs of emotion in his eyes, curious to see what would happen. "I DIDN'T HURT THEM!!"  
  
"Were you there when they died?"  
  
"............well, yeah, but-----!"  
  
"-----So you admit that you were at the scene of the crime?"  
  
"Ye-Yeah, but it wasn't me-----!"  
  
"-----And how do you explain the fact that  _your_ _DNA_ was there, over their corpses. Your  _blood_ _."_  
  
"I-I don't know."  
  
"And you know what we  _didn't_ find?  _Kenji's_ _DNA_ _._ "  
  
"H-He did it! I don't know how you want me to prove it to you!!"  
  
Ibiki was quiet for a moment before he leaned back in his seat. "Alright then. What happened?"  
  
I racked my brain for the answer, trying to form a sentence in my head. My head was still pounding for some god awful reason, and it was throwing me off, bit by bit.  
  
"I..... I was walking around..... I had just visited Lee, who is in the hospital....."  
  
"Go on...."  
  
"I....... Saw Naruto and the Sannin, Jiraiya....." I looked down, remembering the shining kunai in my hands. "Jiraiya signed my kunai, so I was looking down at it when I bumped into Senri. He seemed...... Frantic. He said that he had been looking for Akyra all day, and he asked for my help. And I accepted."  
  
Ibiki nodded his head, clasping his hands together and crossing a leg over the other nonchalantly.  
  
"We walked around the village all day, just looking for any sign of her. We didn't find her until we went into the forest and saw her talking to Kenji." I went through the scene in my head a few times, just to make sure that I wouldn't miss a single detail. "Kenji.... Was standing in front of her, but he looked like he was about to lunge. Senri...... Senri left me...... Senri died..... Akyra died. HE killed them...." I placed my head on the edge of the table and stared blankly at the floor. "Kenji killed him. Kenji killed her."  
  
"Faith," Ibiki started softly, uncrossing his legs as he leaned forward slightly, "Kenji couldn't have done it."  
  
I raised my head from my lowered position and looked Ibiki straight in the eyes. His last statement shook me up just a little bit, and it nearly threw me off a tad. "What....... Do you mean.....? K-Kenji was there-----"  
  
"-----Kenji was at home."  
  
"Wha-----?"  
  
"-----Kenji was confirmed to have been home at the time of the incident. In fact, both of his parents AND his older brother confirmed it."  
  
"But..... That doesn't make any sense; he was there!" Ibiki shook his head slowly in protest as I made my claims. "I watched it all happen! You can't tell me that he wasn't there!"  
  
"I CAN tell you that he wasn't there because  _he_ _wasn't_ _there_ _._ "   
  
"No.... He was there! Dammit, he was THERE!" I made a move to hop up but was instantaneously reminded of my restraints that were holding me back. My realization actually angered me, which only increased my struggles.  
  
A reluctant sigh escaped Ibiki's damaged lips as he closed his eyes in disappointment. He brought his hand to his face as he ran his toughened fingers over his jaw; hoping to find even the smallest way of making his incessant amount of stress  _disappear_ _._ "I don't know what it is that I am to do to make you confess, but until that point in time, I'm sure you'll enjoy sitting in solitude for as long as needed."   
  
"Ibiki, don't you leave me in this room."  
  
Ibiki stood very slowly from his seated position as if further driving his statement into my skull. He politely pushed his chair up to the table and looked me dead in the eye before turning his back to me nonchalantly.  
  
"Ibiki.......!"  
  
He opened the door to my 'new room', and let me catch a glimpse of the space that was supposedly right within my grasp. He looked at me for what felt like hours, then turned his back to me as he left me in silence.  
  
"IBIKI! DON'T LEAVE ME IN HERE ALONE!!!" When I received no response, it sent me into a state of panic. "C-COME BACK, IBIKI!!! IBIKI!!!!!"


	41. Accusations and Regrets

What time is it?  
     
How long has it been?  
     
Why am I still here?  
     
Several high-rank ninjas had entered the room with food and drinks, only for them to be rudely turned down.  
     
"You have to eat," a random ANBU ninja pointed out as he held a tray in his hands, "you'll need to stay healthy. You could die."  
     
With words as dry as my mouth, I looked up at the ninja with tired eyes and growled; "Get out."  
     
His mask prevented me from seeing any emotion that he may have shown on his face, and he turned back towards the door and left me in the uncomfortable silence.  
     
Several minutes passed before anything else happened, but when it did, I wished for the annoying ANBU to come dashing back into my figuratively open arms.  
     
Guy-Sensei.  
     
He was accompanied by several ANBU in case things were drastic, but the sight of them staring at me like a wild animal only sent my blood boiling.  
     
"What.....?" I questioned, looking up to Guy-Sensei with tired eyes. "What do you want from me......?"   
     
His gaze was filled with concern as he stared at the sullen look I had adopted; the sweat that had beaded my forehead; the obvious loss of weight from my lack of eating and my annoyed raspy voice from lack of proper fluids. "I just came to talk..... That's all." He stated.  
     
My gaze softened a tad, as I looked down to the floor at his feet, watching as his feet shuffled towards the seat in front of me. I stayed silent, unsure of what to say at the moment as I shamefully looked at the surface of the table in front of me.  
     
"Umm...... Ino... She's been dropping off your flower for you...... After you..... Well....."  
     
".........After I got locked up?"  
     
I finally looked up to meet his eyes, watching the surprise of my statement flash momentarily before fading back to concern.  
     
"You aren't locked up, Faith. It's just-----"  
     
"-----Being held into custody because I was framed for a crime that everyone thinks I've committed?"  
     
"Faith, I don't think you killed them....."  
     
"Am I supposed to thank you?"  
     
"Faith," his voice was slightly rushed like he was trying very hard to get his point across, "I've been trying to get you out of here; I swear to it. But something about all of this doesn't add up-----!"  
     
"-----So you admit that you think I've killed them?"  
     
"No!"  
     
I swallowed hard to try and hydrate my mouth as much as I could, but the results were worse than I thought. "Just say it... You don't believe me! No one does. I wouldn't blame you."  
     
"Faith, it's...... It's not that I don't believe you...... It's..... I mean, the state of the girl..... It doesn't make sense...."  
     
"No shit." I didn't even try to watch my language anymore, as my forehead collided with the edge of the table. "But somehow the state of her fucking head is enough to keep me in here. I don't fuckin' know why my blood was there! All I remember is watching Kenji kill them! He fucking blew her brains out, and somehow that's my fault-----!"  
     
"-----Please, don't say it like that....."  
     
An empty silence filled the air as the both of us stared at anything but each other in the room. The ANBU shifted uncomfortably behind Sensei, only adding more unto the somber feel.  
     
"Has no one stopped to realize that Kenji used a similar jutsu on Senri during the chunin exams? Same thing used on Akyra."  
     
"But, his isn't strong enough for that."   
     
"It's still the Tatsuo Clan Jutsu. Blame this on one of them."  
     
"We wish we could, Ms. Faith. But it's not that simple." One of the ANBU had finally spoken up, his masked face revealing nothing. "As far as we know, with whatever is lurking underneath your headband... If it's a Sharingan, you could have copied his technique."  
     
"Bullshit!" I wanted to stand, but my shackles nearly yanked me back down. "Don't you motherfuckers have the ninja that can see people's memories?! Why don't you stop wasting my FUCKING TIME WITH YOUR BULLSHIT?!" My voice nearly left me at the end of my yelling fit, but my teeth grit together angrily to show that I hadn't faltered at all. "You guys are fully capable of proving my innocence, but you do nothing! It's like you WANT me in here!"  
     
"It's not that easy, Faith. And, we are still investigating the deaths of Takuma and Kimashi as well....."  
     
My mind drew a blank after the names of my fallen comrades had been uttered from his lips. To think, this man had the audacity to try and  _blame_ _me_ _for_ _their_ _deaths_ _._  
  
"GO TO HELL!!!" I jumped up with enough force to snap a few of the chains near my feet, causing me to leap forward towards him. The other ANBU in the room dashed forward to grab me, pulling me back and away from the ANBU member before anything drastic happened.   
     
In all of the commotion, my headband unraveled from my head and fell to the ground making me close my eye out of instinct.  
     
Something was happening to me.  
     
Something bad.  
     
I was getting angry; very angry with all of the ANBU in the room that were getting in my way for no real reason. Before I had time to react any further, a certain ANBU injected me with something.....

  
** ** **

     
".........ooh.........ake........yet?"  
     
I was a little groggy as I finally came to opening my right eye only to reveal bright lights. When it adjusted, I blinked the sleep from my eye and looked up to see none other than the Third Hokage in the flesh  _right_ _in_ _front_ _of_ _me_ _._  
  
"Good. You're finally awake."  
     
I frantically looked around the room to see dark cement walls surrounding me on all sides. The only light that was being provided was coming from several lamps.  
     
"I'm genuinely sorry about all of this..... I wish things could be different....." Robes and all, he still managed to find a way to sit on the floor in front of me and attempt to get comfortable. "I personally don't believe that you had anything to do with this-----"  
     
"-----Then why am I still trapped here?"  
     
"I'm getting there." He gave a kind smile and looked at the chains that littered my body. "I've spoken with Ibiki myself on the matter. Although he was reluctant, I convinced him to let you go-----"   
     
"-----So I'm  _free_ _?!_ "  
     
"With conditions." He chuckled lightly at the eagerness in my voice. "We had to both agree on something, so while you are free, you will be accompanied by either Jonin or ANBU-----"  
     
"-----Can it be Jonin?" He smiled at me for my third interruption instead of scolding me, which made me blush nervously. "S-Sorry......."  
     
"As I was saying, you'll be accompanied and watched until you're proven innocent. Alright?"  
     
"Anything that gets me out of here, sir."  
     
"I thought you'd agree."


	42. Training For The Fight

"I may be having second thoughts....."  
     
Whenever a Jonin was not busy with their cell, they would be assigned to me. Sometimes the  _entire cell_ would be assigned, but only if a Jonin wasn't available.  
     
"Couldn't Ari just watch over me?" I glanced up at Asuma, who was currently assigned to watch over me. "Or at least Guy-Sensei, so that I could continue training....."  
     
"Trust me," he muttered; arms crossed impatiently over his chest, "I would  _love_ to hand you off to someone else right now; especially with the way you've been complaining all day."  
     
The both of us were standing inside the Yamanaka Flower Shop, as I admired the flowers to waste time. Guy-Sensei was off doing God knows what, so I was (unfortunately) left with Asuma to go about my business. I gladly picked up a single lotus blossom and sniffed it, holding it up to Asuma's nose for him to do the same.  
     
"Smell it."   
     
"Err...... No thanks."  
     
"Damn. What a buzzkill."   
     
I left him standing there as he let out a huff, watching as I went to the counter to pay for it. When I was done with my purchase, we exited the building and watched as Iruka ran up hurriedly, looking to Asuma.   
     
"You're being relieved of your duties, Asuma." He huffed, slightly winded. "I'm here to take over for you."  
     
Not a single complaint was heard as Asuma walked away (or was it skipped?) from the two of us. As soon as he left though, I was sure to ask some questions.   
     
"You?" I inquired, "how are you supposed to watch me? You aren't a Jonin-----"  
     
He sent a swift smack my way, hitting the back of my head as he angrily placed his hands on his hips. "What's that supposed to mean??" He glared daggers at my figure; ready to scold me and go all out. "I can manage you! I handled you in the academy, right?? I'm more than capable!"   
  
 _"Then why are you yelling at me?"_  
     
"That's......! That's........ A good q-question, actually......"  
     
The both of us stood there for a moment before I turned away from him, reminding myself of the task for today. I looked down at the flower in my hand and turned away, walking off to the hospital, with Iruka following close behind.

  
** ** **

     
As usual, Lee was asleep by the time I had gotten there. Instead of waiting around like I normally would have, I left the place in search of something interesting to do.   
     
"What do you normally do right at this time of day?" Iruka asked, following close behind as I casually strolled through the village. "Is there anything you need help with, by any chance?"  
     
"No. If I were 'free', I'd be training, and possibly having fun. Instead, I'm being followed around by a different person every few hours. Hell, I can't even relax in my own damn home without some Jonin offering to cook my dinner for me because they think I'll attack them with a frying pan!" I was easily angered at this point, and every minor inconvenience was getting to my head. "Sometimes I think that they don't even  _try_ to put two and two together, Kinda like they  _want_ me to be in trouble."  
     
"Don't jump to conclusions. Maybe they're just stuck-----"  
     
"-----stuck?" I skid to a stop and quickly turned on my heel to face him. "You think they're  _stuck_ _?_ " My expression changed quickly from nonchalant to dangerously angered as my eyes squinted in disbelief. "These people aren't  _stuck_ _._ They're assholes. They don't even try to look at the facts, and try to frame me for my  _own_ _team's_ _murder_ only after this all went down! This has got to be completely intentional!"  
     
An empty silence quickly ensued, as I was, unfortunately, waiting for a response that would never come, and Iruka's stunned expression simply confirmed it.  
     
"I'm only ten years old, and I'm already being framed for murder."  
     
"Well-----"  
     
Iruka had opened his mouth as if he were going to say something, then stopped short once he saw Guy-Sensei jogging over in the distance. It actually lifted my spirits a little to see that he was back because it meant that I would finally be able to do something other than useless meandering. "Sensei! What took you so long?" I rushed to meet him halfway, forcing Iruka to jog after me. "I've been waiting for you ALL day!"  
     
"Sorry about that!" He stopped just before he could stumble over me, looking down at me eagerly. "I had a quick mission to take care of, but I finally finished it." His gaze shifted from mine to Iruka's as he gave him a friendly thumbs up. "I'll take her from here. Thank you for watching her!"  
     
"No problem."  
     
Iruka happily ushered off as Sensei and I were left on our own. He quickly led me towards a large open area in the woods so that I could continue working on opening the inner gates.

  
** ** **

     
Several days had passed since then and they always seemed just like the one before it. I would wake up, find some random Jonin standing beside my bed, get ready, and eventually land back within Guy-Sensei's clutches. I was making progress; very steady and very difficult, yet never fully achieving my goal. I had finally begun to work on opening the second gate, which was even more difficult than the first.  
     
"Alright, Faith! C'mon! You can do it!" Guy-Sensei would stand right by my side, giving out pointers on what to fix. "You have to focus more!" or "Concentrate your power!" were only a few of the things that I heard. Not long after this, I felt a sense of relief once the second gate had finally opened.  
     
"I...... I did it......!"  
     
"Good job, Faith!" Guy-Sensei started, placing a firm hand on my relaxed shoulder. "Take a short break before we continue, alright?"  
  
 _He_ _didn't_ _have_ _to_ _tell_ _me_ _twice_ _._  
     
I happily went to sit under a tree for a moment or two to take a breather before thinking about how close the next part of the exams was. I only had a couple days left to properly learn the inner gates, yet I had only managed to open two.  
  
 _How_ _is_ _it_ _possible_ _to_ _learn_ _to_ _open_ _three_ _more_ _inner_ _gates_ _in_ _two_ _days_ _?_  
  
 _Not_ _possible_ _._  
     
As I was sitting and thinking about how the process of opening the gates in two days was impossible, I began to think about what else I could try to pass the time.  
     
What could I try?  
     
What could I try?  
     
So many questions.

"Guy-Sensei?" As he turned to face me without hesitation, I looked down at the lush grass and asked: "Is it impossible to learn the fifth inner gate in such a short amount of time? I....... I wanna be able to use it properly...... But, if it takes too long....."

He sighed as I trailed off from my sentence, and looked me in the eyes with sympathy. "I'll tell you straight out, Faith. It's not so simple that you can snap your fingers and  _poof,_ you have the ability to do so. Unless there is some sort of miracle that enables it, you won't be able to fully learn this by then."  
     
Even though I wanted a real answer, it still hit me like a bus. To think that I had hoped for anything more in this situation was totally unrealistic, yet it still discouraged me to think so.  
     
"I see....."  
     
There was a faint trace of disappointment in my voice that Sensei sensed, which is the reason he spoke next.  
     
"You know," he started, "if you really want to train with someone that can teach you something quickly, why not find Kakashi?" His eyes moved from my eye to my headband, which was still covering my own powerful orb. "I may not know the details of what's under there, but perhaps Kakashi can help."  
     
"Kakashi?" I hadn't seen him at all since the preliminaries had ended, so I never thought about going to him and asking for help. It seemed like a good idea; Kakashi was just as experienced with fighting as Sensei was, so there was no reason for me to doubt him in the slightest.  
     
"Yeah. Sounds like a plan, I suppose."

  
** ** **

     
"Have you seen Kakashi-Sensei anywhere? I've been looking all over for him."  
     
Sakura was my last resort at this point, as nearly every person in the village hadn't seen hide nor hair of this man. He was either doing a brilliant job of hiding, or he wasn't here in the first place.  
     
"No, I haven't. Sorry, Faith, but he's been gone since...... Well... The preliminaries, I believe."  
     
Great.  
     
Just great.  
     
I huffed in an irritated fashion and massaged the bridge of my nose in hopes of making my rising headache fade. To think that I've spent all of this time trying to find a single member of team seven, and the member doesn't even know where her teacher is? Yeah. This is fine.  
  
 _This_ _is_ _not_ _fine_ _._  
  
 _This_ _is_ _never_ _fine_ _._  
     
Shortly after my rather uneventful interaction between Sakura and I, I was left to wander around aimlessly in hopes of finding someone I was familiar with. I was unsuccessful; every person that I saw on the streets were unfamiliar to me, and I didn't feel confident enough to walk up to one of them and say,  _'_ _Hey_ _,_ _would_ _you_ _like_ _to_ _train_ _me_ _?'._ It wouldn't be nice, in my opinion.  
     
"Excuse me! Pardon me! I need to get through here!"  
     
As I went to turn my head to see what all of the commotions was about, I was forcefully shoved into the dirt by someone's pushy elbow; a mouthful of dirt was the only thing that stopped my rage-filled words.  
     
"Sorry about that-----! Faith?"  
     
"Enei?" With the dirt in my mouth, my words were robbed from me, and my ability to make sense was drastically decreased (if that's possible). With disgust written on my face as clear as day, my eyes scrunched up as I quickly spit out the bit of earth that I had unwillingly collected. "Ari-Sensei? What are you doing?"   
     
"Reporting back from an important mission. Lord Third sent me out right after the preliminaries. Just now got back." He reached out a hand to help me off of the ground and pulled me up, helping me to steady myself when I staggered. "I didn't think I'd see you strolling through town, especially since the third part of the exams is so close. What are you doing?"  
     
After promptly dusting myself off from my encounter with the earth, I looked up at him with pleading eyes to show my desperation. "I've been looking all over for Kakashi-Sensei so I could train with him because there was no way that I would be able to learn up to five of the inner gates. But, well, he doesn't seem to want to be found...."   
     
"Kakashi?" Ari perked up at the mention of his name, and he quickly explained the situation to me. "Kakashi's been gone since the preliminaries, didn't you know? He's been training Sasuke this whole time."   
     
 _Are you shitting me?_  
  
"He's been gone training Sasuke the whole time? And I've wasted all this time for nothing?"  
     
"Well, not for  _nothing._ " When he saw my unamused expression, he tried to further justify his words. "I mean, you bumped into me, right? I might not be Kakashi or Guy, but I can still help you train, right? Trust me, I think it would do the both of us some good...." It wasn't until he had uttered those words with his tired smile that I noticed the dark bags under his eyes, the almost sad look in his eyes, and the almost unnoticeable slouch he had grown into over the past month.  
     
He's tired.  
     
Very tired.  
     
"Yeah. Let's go and train."  
     
He seemed happier at this; his eyes lit up and his posture straightened out just a little. "Alright! Lemme just report back, and then we can get started." He was about to walk off until he remembered the conditions for my freedom. "Actually, you should probably come with me so that you don't get arrested or something." He hastily snagged my arm and pulled me after him, dragging me away from the stress of today.


	43. The Third Part Of The Chunin Exams

Today.  
     
The third part of the exam was today.   
     
And where was I?  
     
_FUCKING OVERSLEEPING IN MY OWN HOME._  
  
I woke up an hour late; clothes and weapons flying around the room in a flurry of colors and danger as I rushed to get ready for the fights ahead. With my jumpsuit on underneath my normal attire, I rushed from my home with a slice of toast in my mouth and my hands behind my head to put my hair back.  
  

_Why didn't Ari wake me??_

  
** ** **

     
By the time I had arrived, the first match between Naruto and Neji had already started, and it didn't look like it would last much longer. Not knowing where to go, I headed up to the stands towards Sakura, since her bright pink hair was the only familiar thing I was able to find.   
     
"So, what did I miss?"  
     
Sakura jumped at this as she didn't expect my sudden arrival; she hastily turned to face me with her stunned expression written all over her face. "Faith!!" She exclaimed, blinking at my figure in surprise. "You finally showed up! Where have you been?"  
     
Refraining from saying,  _'Oh, you know; oversleeping...',_ I tried being as convincing as possible when I said, "Just looking for Ari-Sensei. Have you seen him?" For some reason, instead of simply giving me a 'no' or a 'last known location', she gave me a 'You fucking liar' look.   
     
_"And you did a_ _reeeeeeeeeeeeeal_ _good job at doing so."_  
  
Of fucking course, only a few rows behind Sakura had to be the place that Ari was sitting. He was leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed over his chest, as he gave me a, 'you tried; gold star' look. "I've been here this whole time; I even left a note on my front door to let you know that I'd be here."  
     
"I uh... I didn't think to check there."  
     
"My own home? Why wouldn't you-----?"  
     
"-----CHOJI! INO! HOW'S SHE CUTTIN'??"  
     
Dodging a bullet and starting up a conversation with the two members of Asuma's cell allowed me to fully avoid any bothersome questions. We eventually had to turn away from one another so that we could all watch the match before us unfold. Both Neji and Naruto seemed to be down in a ditch, and everyone in the crowd seemed to be waiting with bated breath. Not a single person in the audience knew for sure what the outcome of the match held, but as soon as everyone saw a hand reaching out from the ditch, not a single sound was heard.  
     
Slowly, hesitantly, and weakly, a hand made its way out of the ground and grabbed at the edge of the hell hole in hopes of pulling themselves out. Everyone waited and waited, but once the survivor presented themselves, not a single person was surprised.  
     
Neji.  
     
Once he had maintained his balance on the solid ground, he glanced around to see if Naruto was nowhere to be found. Unfortunately, in his own little ditch, Naruto lay unconscious......   
     
_BAM!_  
  
Out from the depths of the underground, Naruto emerged with his swift uppercut sending an unexpected blow to the shocked Neji. The hit sent Neji reeling backward; being taken by surprise was surely enough to make your guard drop to nothing.  
     
As if on cue, the moment that everyone in the audience looked to the clone in confusion, it poofed from existence and left the attacker in the spotlight to bask in all of the glory. Everyone was dead silent; the reality of the situation hit everyone like a bus, and no one knew how to respond.  
     
There was a long pause.  
     
Not a single sound was to be heard; at this point, you could hear a pin drop from the other side of the village.  
     
"GO, NARUTO! THAT WAS AWESOME!"  
     
I had finally swallowed the lump of the surprise that had been caught in my throat, and now I refused to hold back my cheers. He had beaten Neji Hyuga; sure, Kiba wasn't an entire pushover, but his cocky ways could easily be overpowered. Neji Hyuga? He never seems to lose.  
     
And lose is just what he did.  
     
Once everyone had accepted the fact that Neji had actually been defeated by none other than Naruto Uzumaki, the crowd erupted in a furious wave of cheers.  
     
The loser had finally achieved victory.  
     
Once Naruto's victory had been confirmed, he exited the arena and made his way over to a special area for what seemed like the participants.  
     
Wait a minute.  
     
"Hey, Sakura? Is that section over there for the people in the tournament?"   
     
"Yeah, why?"  
     
".............Sh-Shouldn't I be over there?"   
    
It took her a moment to run over my question a few times in her head. Once she realized, she looked over at me and exclaimed: "That's right; I forgot that you're still in!!"   
     
"How could you forget??"  
     
"Well, you aren't extremely hard working-----!"  
     
"-----AT LEAST I WORK!"  
     
As I made my way past Ari in an effort to find a way over, I shot him a fierce glare. "And you  _knew_ I'm a participant, you jerk!"   
     
He gave an amused chuckle as I glared fiery daggers at him.  
     
_"Well, Sakura has a point."_

"SCREW YOU!"  
  
I dashed off as fast as I could towards the participants' area in hopes of letting people know that I did indeed show up. By the time I made it over, several people in the audience were making a fuss, probably because the next match had yet to start.  
     
"Naruto!" I exclaimed happily, tackling him in a huge hug. "That was amazing! You beat Neji!" He stumbled a bit from my sudden attack but managed to catch himself before he fell. "I was on the edge; I wasn't sure who would win!"   
     
"Of course I was gonna win! If I wanna be Hokage, I can't let anything get in my way!" He playfully laughed as I released him, and gave me a big thumbs up. "You have to win yours too, Faith! That way we can be Chunin together!"   
     
"You got it! No problem!"  
     
The two of us high-fived one another playfully and looked back out onto the field.  
     
"Hey, whose match is up next?"  
     
"I hear it's that one Uchiha!"   
     
"Where IS he?"  
     
"When is the match gonna start??"  
     
Many people were growing impatient by the second, shouting their complaints in hopes of making the match begin sooner. It wasn't until I looked around that I noticed that Sasuke wasn't here.  
     
"Wait, where IS Sasuke?"  
     
"I dunno. He hasn't shown up yet." Naruto looked slightly concerned but also annoyed at the fact that his team member showed no sign of arriving. "Are they gonna automatically make him forfeit??"  
     
Taking one more look around the area allowed me to catch a glimpse of Gaara, who looked irritated that his match was currently being delayed.   
     
As I was lost in thought about the encounter I had with Gaara a month earlier, I realized that the people in charge had decided to change things up.  
     
"The match between Sasuke Uchiha and Gaara of the Sand will be delayed to give Sasuke the chance to show up! Because of this, the match between Shino Aburame and Kankuro will now begin!"   
     
There were many complaints going around the crowd, but some were relieved that he would actually get a chance. Everyone prepared themselves for the next match; the hype of watching two children brawl was getting everyone riled up, but it all came crashing down once more when the Kankuro dude raised his hand.  
     
"I forfeit."  
     
WHAT.  
     
Shino was left to stare at him slightly dumbfounded, just like everyone else in the audience. Down below, Genma looked up at Kankuro with a look that read: 'I hate my job'.   
     
"Alright then. By forfeit, Shino Aburame wins the match! That means that we automatically move on to the next match; Faith versus Kenji Tatsuo......!"  
     
WAIT.  
     
MY MATCH WAS NEXT??  
     
I COMPLETELY FORGOT.  
     
I blinked in shock at the info that had just been given to me, and I felt uncomfortable with everyone looking at me expectantly. Staring down in the middle of the arena, I locked eyes with Kenji, to which he smirked devilishly and mouthed, 'C'mon, Faith'.  
     
_**Why me?**_


	44. Kenji Versus Faith

The beginning of my match had finally been announced, but not under the circumstances that I thought. Sasuke was late, Kankuro gave up, and now? Now I was left to fight my worst enemy.  
     
"Go on, Faith! You gotta win!" Naruto tried to encourage me as he playfully pats me on the back. "I believe in you! He doesn't stand a chance!"  
     
"R-Right....."  
     
Gathering up my courage, I hopped over the edge of the railing and landed on my feet below. The lump in my throat was becoming unbearable to deal with, but once I had made my way over to Kenji, I refused to show any sign of fear.  
     
When the both of us were situated on the ground in front of one another, my nervous demeanor faded into a more angry one. Standing in front of the boy who got me wrongfully accused of murder was torture all in itself; I wanted to lunge forward and gouge his eyes out, but common sense told me otherwise.  
     
"Alright. You know the rules, you two. Ready?" When Genma received no response from either of us, he took a couple steps back. "Okay. Begin."  
     
"This is what you get for making me get arrested." I stretched my arms a bit before getting my hand ready to grab a shuriken.  
     
"Go to hell."  
     
"I vacation there."  
     
As if on cue, I dashed forward as quickly as my feet would carry me. With a kunai in hand, I made a move to slash him to bits, but before it made contact, Kenji deflected mine with a kunai of his own. The two of us stayed like that for a little while; each of us trying to gain dominance over the other.  
     
"You've caused me too many problems, Kenji!"   
     
"Too bad I don't care."  
     
Realizing that I wasn't getting anywhere by struggling with him, I hopped backward to try and get some distance between us. As I was hopping back, I was hit with the memory of  _that_ night.  _That_ encounter. The one that claimed the lives of two innocent people. Being reminded of that made me angry, and now I wanted answers.  
     
"Why did you do it, Kenji??"  
     
"Do what?"  
     
"Why did you kill them?? Why did you kill Senri and Akyra?? What did they do??"  
     
"Are you forgetting, Faith?" Kenji stared at me with his pale blue eyes boring into mine. " _You_ are the one who killed them. Not me. I was at  _home_ _._ How could I have done anything from  _home_ _?_ "  
     
"YOU WERE THERE!"  
     
"Ask  _everyone_ _._ I  _wasn't_ _there_ _._ " 

"THE HELL YOU WEREN'T!" I ran forward angrily and aimed a punch at his face, only to have it be knocked away from him with his own arm. Blow after blow was sent in attempts to assail him, but each and every one was blocked before it could make contact. Getting fed up with everything being blocked, I easily raised my leg up into the air in an attempt to knock his lights out with a swift kick, but he crossed his arms over his head to stop it.

The two of us glared back and forth; the dark and the light coming together in a fierce battle for the ten seconds of fame. Angry blue eyes and a pale dead gaze were shared, but the battle was far from finished.  
     
A scary glint passed through Kenji's eyes, and a deep growl rumbled deep in his throat.  
     
_"_ _I_ _should_ _have_ _killed_ _you_ _when_ _I_ _had_ _the_ _chance_ _."_  
  
The words were mumbled only loud enough for me to hear; not a single soul around us had heard his dark words. A chill went down my spine and I let out a visible shiver as the words sunk in. While I was frozen in place, Kenji pushed my leg up off of his arm and opened his hands; grabbing me by the leg and using all of his strength to throw me a few feet away.   
     
The force of me colliding with the ground took every bit of oxygen from my lungs, making it difficult for me to breathe. Slowly gaining air in hopes of not dying, I rose from the ground with my chest heaving; my breathing was quick and heavy as I clutched my ribs painfully.  
     
"You're all talk. You can't win against me."  
     
"But I can try!"   
     
Kunai and shuriken were angrily tossed back and forth in hopes of one of them striking their target. One nearly got me, but it only managed to graze me. After several seconds, I had finally gotten close enough to headbutt him, which sent sharp pains through both of us.  
     
A bit of confidence managed to dig its way deep into my bones as I thought back to  _that_ night.  
     
"Senri was right! You are only second best."  
     
I had no idea what it meant; I thought they were merely empty words. I didn't think they meant so much. I didn't think he would be bothered. I didn't think he would freeze completely.  
     
I didn't think.

  
** ** **

     
"Ani! I wanna play ball with you!"  
     
"Not now, Kenji. I'm really busy today."  
     
"But you  _promised_ _!_ "  
     
"I know; I'm sorry. I didn't think that they were gonna give me so much work. We can play tomorrow if I'm not busy."  
     
The small boy huffed at his older brother's empty promises. Being a small boy at the age of seven, there wasn't much time that he could catch a break from the academy, so he relied on days like this to be able to spend time with his fourteen-year-old sibling. "Okay....."  
     
Just as the boy went to leave, the eldest son made sure to catch him just in time. "Hey, Kenji.....?" The boy stopped for a moment and turned to acknowledge him. "How about this; after the celebration tomorrow, I'll make something up and then we can play. Sound cool?"  
     
The little Kenji's eyes lit up at this, and he hastily let his eagerness be shown. "Yeah!"  
     
"Okay. But until then, you gotta let me finish this, alright?"  
     
"Okay!"  
     
"Good. I'm looking forward to it."  
     
Giddy from the excitement of tomorrow, Kenji could hardly contain his happiness. He ran out of the room and down the hallway towards the stairs, stopping at the mention of his name from the living room.  
     
"-----I know, Honey..... It's just... I worry about Kenji. What if he doesn't turn out like his older brother? He keeps failing his academy tests, he can't pay attention to lessons, he can't even master his own clan jutsu! He can't be anything like Ani!"  
     
"I know, I know. I mean, Ani is having his celebration for his promotion to Jonin rank tomorrow, right?"  
     
"Yeah... I love Ani so much. He's such a sweet and talented boy..."  
     
"Very strong. He's the best kid I've seen in a while."  
     
As Kenji listened in on his parent's conversation, he tried less and less to hide.  
     
Perfect Ani.  
     
_Perfect_ _Ani_ _._  
  
Saddened by the words that came from his parent's mouths, he slowly let go of the rubber ball that he once clutched tightly in his hands. It bounced down the stairs, making its usual bouncing sound as it made its way towards the ground. Ignoring his parent's curious calls, he sulked back into his room for the long night ahead.

  
~

     
The ceremony had begun, and nearly everyone was there. Everywhere he looked, Kenji was surrounded by some adult who was looking for Ani.  
     
"Ani? A Jonin? At  _fourteen_ _?_ "  
     
"That's amazing!"  
     
"The Tatsuo Clan is truly blessed!"  
     
When the adults realized that Kenji was there to overhear, they immediately went quiet as they looked him from head to toe.  
     
_"_ _Isn't_ _that_ _his_ _brother_ _?"_  
  
_"_ _Didn't_ _his_ _name_ _start_ _with_ _K_ _or_ _something_ _?"_  
  
_"_ _Wonder_ _if_ _he_ _can_ _do_ _what_ _his_ _brother_ _can_ _."_  
  
Getting fed up with the reactions, he quickly set off to find his brother in hopes that he would keep his end of the deal. He endlessly moved through the crowd of people to get to his older sibling. When he did manage to catch sight of him, he saw he was hopelessly surrounded by more people; his parents included.  
     
"Ani, you're the best!"  
     
"You're amazing!"  
     
"Are you doing anything later, Ani? We should all go out for dinner!"  
     
"A-Actually, guys, I'm a little busy tonight. I have a lot of work to catch up on, and I can't keep putting it off-----"  
     
"-----forget that! You need to loosen up!"   
     
Against his will, Ani was forcibly dragged away by several people, each of them wanting to chat with him. As he was just about to disappear, he caught sight of his little brother's back attempting to leave.

  
~

     
"WHY CAN'T YOU BE MORE LIKE ANI, YOU RUDE BRAT?!"  
     
"SORRY THAT I CAN'T LIVE UP TO YOUR HIGH STANDARDS, MOM!"  
     
A brutal slap had been administered to Kenji's face as his cheek automatically began to redden.  
     
"You've become extremely rude recently, and I won't stand for it! I don't know what your problem is, but you need to fix it! Do you hear me?!"  
     
Kenji huffed at his mother's attitude and began to rub his stinging cheek. His mother had completely ignored him today when he tried to tell her about his good grades but instead grew angry upon hearing that he had gotten into a fight at the academy (in which he actually stood up for himself against a bully).  
     
"Whatever, Mom," Kenji replied as he crumpled his test in his hand. "Whatever you say."

  
** ** **

     
The shock from my words had only momentarily made Kenji freeze, but once he realized what had happened, he grew angry.  
     
"SECOND BEST, HUH?! YOU THINK I'M ONLY SECOND BEST?! YOU THINK ANI IS BETTER THAN ME?!"  
     
"Ani.....?"  
     
"HE'S SO GREAT! SO MUCH BETTER THAN HIS BROTHER! SO MUCH BETTER THAN ME!"  
     
"K-Kenji-----"  
     
"-----BUT HOW THE HELL WOULD YOU UNDERSTAND?! I SHOULD PUT YOU IN THE GROUND WHERE YOU BELONG!!"  
     
The comment about not being able to understand really riled me up for some reason. Put me on the ground? I don't understand?  
     
"You can't kill me."  
     
"I KILLED MY TEAM; I CAN KILL YOU TOO!!"  
     
There were several shocked gasps from the audience, and Genma even looked like he was about to interfere. He glanced up to the Hokage and was given a look that made him back down.  
     
He wanted me to handle it.  
     
Weaving hand signs at the speed of light, Kenji went for his Clan Jutsu. Fearing the worst, I concentrated all of my power to prepare.  
     
"HIDDEN JUTSU: MENTAL IMPLOSION!"  
     
"FIRST GATE OF OPENING: RELEASE!"   
     
Just as my punch made contact with the side of Kenji's face, his jutsu had activated, which made him fly back and I fall to my knees painfully. He crashed into the ground sending rubble and dirt flying up as he grunted from his fall, and I was still in the same spot, holding my head and trying not to die.  
     
_What_ _was_ _this_ _?_ _This_ _unbearable_ _pain_ _?_ _My_ _head_ _feels_ _like_ _it's_ _splitting_ _open_ _!_  
  
Kenji pulled himself up from the ground and watched as I writhed in pain on the ground. To him, I looked like a squirming insect, too pitiful to carry on.  
     
"YOU'LL NEVER KNOW MY PAIN!"  
     
"YOU'D BE SURPRISED....!"  
     
"JUST DIE!!" As if the jutsu were reacting to his willpower, a new wave of increased pain hit me like a punch from Death himself. I could taste blood in my mouth, my hearing was fading quickly as if someone had gotten water in my ears, and slowly but surely my eyes (even though one was covered) started to get blurry.  
     
_What_ _is_ _happening_ _?!_  
  
_Help_ _!_  
  
_Someone_ _help_ _me_ _!_  
  
"Stupid Bitch."  
     
"S-Second Gate of Rest: Open!"  
     
By opening the second gate, I was revealing my last hope. Upon opening it, I felt a sudden surge of energy and an increase in power. I slowly stood up from the ground painfully, shaking from the pain as Kenji eyed me like a hawk.  
     
"You're pathetic."  
     
As I staggered in my spot, my hand shook as I tried to pull a shuriken from my pouch. My unsteady hands managed to pull one out, but I dropped it on the ground.  
     
_"_ _I_ _believe_ _in_ _ya'_ _,_ _pipsqueak_ _."_  
  
_"_ _Can_ _you_ _make_ _sure_ _to_ _punch_ _that_ _Kenji_ _guy_ _for_ _me_ _......?"_  
  
_"_ _Punch_ _him_ _for_ _me_ _......_ _Please_ _,_ _shorty_ _?"_  
  
_"_ _You_ _finish_ _this_ _thing_ _........_ _And_ _become_ _......_ _The_ _best_ _damn_ _Chunin_ _alive_ _....._ _Got_ _it_ _....?"_  
  
**_"_** ** _I_** ** _believe_** ** _in_** ** _ya'_** ** _,_** ** _pipsqueak_** ** _....."_**  
  
"What a loser. Is that it? You're so-----"  
     
"-----No."  
     
Kenji raised his eyebrow in confusion and chuckled. "No? No what, Faith?"  
     
"No........! I won't let you win any longer. I made a promise." Out of nowhere, I felt an entirely new power; a certain activation in the spinal cord as I felt the power surging through me; so much power that my skin began to turn red. "AND I DON'T BREAK PROMISES!!"  
     
Kenji watched curiously as my skin began to evolve into a darker red, confused as to what he should do. He's seen it before; he's never fought it before.  
     
Once more, I moved forward to begin my relentless attacks. My vision was still getting worse; it was becoming more difficult to see him, much less  _hit_ him. But I refused to give in. 

"THIS IS FOR TAKUMA!" I drew my fist back angrily and sent it shooting forward, watching Kenji go flying back through my blurred eyes. He went rocketing backward; he didn't just fall down a few feet away, he flew back quite a bit before crashing into the ground.

"AND THIS," I ran towards him as he tried to steady himself on his own two feet. "THIS IS FOR SENRI AND AKYRA!" It's like something in my body took over, telling me exactly what to do. Not once had I practiced this; I was far too behind to accomplish anything like this. Yet, as if I were being given instructions, I began to perform a jutsu I had only seen once.   
     
The Hidden Lotus.  
     
The moment that the both of us crashed into the ground, I knew I had lost. My body hurt so much from using that move that I was afraid to move an inch  
     
Kenji had won.  
     
I had lost.  
     
"K-Kenji Tatsuo...... Is unconscious! That means that the winner of this match is Faith.........!"  
     
I barely raised my head up to glance over at Kenji, and sure enough, he was out like a light. He actually looked peaceful; his eyes weren't narrowed and his mouth wasn't stuck in a permanent scowl. 

"Second best my ass....." I muttered to myself as I lay my head back and slowly drifted into my own darkness.


	45. Strange Happenings

When I finally woke up, I was in some sort of recovery room with nurses bustling about. Many of them were trying to heal up other patients, while others were moving medicine in and out. When one of the nurses saw that I was awake, she glanced over at me and asked, "Do you feel okay, honey?"  
     
"I feel fine."  
     
"Good." She came over to my bed and gave me a quick checkup before giving me the okay to leave. "That was a fine battle, girl. Keep it up."

  
** ** **

     
By the time I had gotten back, the match between Shikamaru and Temari girl had begun. Gusts of wind and shadows on the ground were going back and forth as I quickly made my way back to Naruto.  
     
"Hey, Naruto."  
     
"Faith!" My arrival had surprised him quite a bit as he turned to face me. "You're awake!"  
     
"Awake and alive."  
     
"How do you feel? After that match, you must be feeling a little pain!"  
     
"Not really. I guess that's the power of Medical Ninjutsu." I chuckled gently as I looked down at the match below. " I honestly thought I was gonna die during that fight. My head felt like it was going to explode!" I further proved my point by clutching the side of my head as I thought back to what happened. "I didn't think I was gonna win."  
     
"But you did!" He pats me on the back and gave me one of his smiles. "That match was really cool and fun to watch! I didn't know you knew bushy brows' moves!"  
     
"You do realize that that's who I've trained with for a while, right?"  
     
"Well, yeah, I just didn't think it was any more than that. You know, being a girl and all-----"

"-----Excuse me?"  
  
When he ran over what he said, he stuttered profusely and put his hands up as a defense. "Hey, I didn't mean it like that! I was just thinking about the two of them, and then how difficult the training is-----"  
     
"-----So, you're saying that I shouldn't use difficult Taijutsu because I'm a girl......? Is that it?"  
     
"No!"  
     
Before anything could happen, there were several confused nothings from the crowd at the sight of the match in the arena in front of them. When Naruto and I turned to investigate, we were greeted with Shikamaru and Temari both raising their hands.  
     
"What's going on? Why are they-----?"  
     
"-----Shikamaru forfeit the match," Shino informed as he stared down at the two Genin.   
     
"HE WHAT?!"  
     
Naruto looked appalled at the new information, making sure to turn to me in disbelief. "WHY?! WHAT?!" He turned from me to look back over the rail and even managed to climb over the side.  
     
"C'MON! WE'RE GONNA TEACH HIM A LESSON!"  
     
"Umm, what?"  
     
"COME DOWN!"  
     
"I don't really wanna-----"  
     
"-----DO IT!"  
     
Doing my absolute worst at containing my profanity, I jumped over the side of the rail with ease and landed on the ground by Naruto's side. As soon as the both of our feet touched the ground, he marched over to Shikamaru and voiced his opinions.   
     
I don't wanna be down here.   
     
Naruto, please.  
     
"Hey, Naruto. We should get out of here so we don't take up space. Why don't we-----?"  
     
Just as I moved over to usher the two away, a gust of wind moving in a tornado-like fashion carrying several hundreds of leaves appeared out of nowhere on the field. At first, I thought it was Temari, who still hadn't gotten over the end of the match, but once I saw the blank face of the raven-haired emo, I knew what was to come.  
     
Sasuke had finally arrived.   
     
Naruto had finally gotten what he wanted, and I wasn't having any of it. I walked over to Shikamaru, who also wasn't too excited about Sasuke.  
     
"Can we just go back up there and wait? I'm not feeling the whole 'waiting' game right now."  
     
"And people say  _I'm_ lazy."  
     
"I'll take that as a compliment." I pat him on the shoulder in a friendly way and looked up at all of the people in the stands above us. "Nice fight, Shika-Kun. You kicked ass."   
     
He chuckled at this as he placed one of his hands on his hip, and the other was lazily rubbing the back of his neck. "Thanks. You too."  
     
The two of us stood still as we waited for Naruto to finish gawking at Sasuke, and eventually, he scampered over to the two of us so that we could finally make our way back up to the stands. The walk was a quiet one; I didn't speak at all in fear of saying something stupid at a time like this. It stayed that way for a while too, until someone was lurking towards us with bloodlust.  
     
Gaara.   
     
The look in his eyes was terrifying as he glared at two older men in front of him. I didn't catch what they said, but it must have been enough to drive him over the edge.   
     
 _Crack!_  
  
There was blood. A lot of blood. The hallway resembled that of a Jackson Pollock painting, but only in the one dark shade of red. It reeked of death.  
      
The three of us tried to act as casual as possible as Gaara made his way past us, but I was unfortunate enough to make eye contact with him.   
     
 _I'm dead._  
  
He stopped in his tracks as we locked eyes, glaring me from head to toe before looking to the two on either side of me. When he finished. he turned to go down the stairs and descended with his dark laughter ringing throughout the halls.   
     
Each of us watched him go with bated breath, unsure of what was to happen. When he was finally gone, each of us dropped down on the stairs to stop and catch our breath from the near-death experience. 

"I thought we were dead."  
     
Naruto shakily muttered out his words as he sat on my left side, trembling ever so slightly from the fear. "You know how he was in the hospital with Lee; he could snap at us at any moment!"  
     
"He wouldn't try anything; at least, not with this many ninjas around. It's too dangerous, even for him." Shikamaru added. "Maybe if we just... I dunno; maybe if we try and reason with him-----"  
     
"-----Reason with him? Did you SEE the way he looked at us?! The way he looked at Faith?! You've heard what he said! He isn't afraid to kill!" He was suddenly overcome with realization as he frantically stood from his seated position. "WE GOTTA WARN SASUKE!"  
     
"Hold up, Naruto. Not everything is about Sasuke! And second off, telling Sasuke won't do us any good. We have to tell someone higher up with more authority over the match." I had finally voiced my opinion on the matter at hand and looked up to the blond standing above me. "We can't be reckless. As much as I hate Sasuke's guts, it's best if we prevent another death." I stood from my sitting position on the stairs and made my way over to the bloodied hallway. "But, if we're gonna do it, we better hurry before the match starts. We might not have much time; they could have already started already."  
     
The three of us each looked at one another in agreement as we each dashed down the hall towards Sakura and Ari's location.  
     
"Ari-Sensei, we-----!"  
     
Every thought of Sasuke's endangerment was robbed from me as I caught sight if the familiar black bowl cut, the matching brows, and the wide and surprised eyes that locked with mine.   
     
"L-Lee?"  
     
I could hardly contain my excitement as I ran over to him into a happy (but careful) hug as to not break his bones again. "Lee! You're finally awake! This is awesome!"  
     
"Finally awake......? But I-----"  
     
"-----Every time that she went to visit, you would be sleeping," Guy-Sensei added. "Every time."

"Except for the time that you  snuck outta the room to do push-ups,  but you passed out when I got down there...." I finally realized that I really didn't get to see him awake at all, as if the author on the other side of this screen planned it. "But you're awake now! And moving around! That's even better!" I was so happy when I saw Lee that I temporarily forgot about the reason we rushed here in the first place. When it finally came back to me, I glanced frantically back at Shikamaru and Naruto.  
     
"Kakashi-Sensei!" Naruto began, pointing a finger back to where we just came, "Kakashi-Sensei; you have to stop Sasuke from fighting Gaara! It's too dangerous! He-----!"  
     
"-----Will be fine. Just let it happen." His dark orb flicked from the blond to Shikamaru, then back at me. "There's a reason we were late; just wait and see for yourself."  
     
After Kakashi had 'reassured' us of Sasuke's safety, the three of us were basically forced to reject the entire thing completely. Any time a blow was administered to Sasuke, the three of us were forced to watch in silence and hope that the blow didn't lead to death.  
     
"Ari-Sensei, do you....... Do you have any cool techniques that you can teach me? I mean, I know that I've been learning the Inner Gates and all, but some students have moves that they've learned from their Sensei." It seemed like a weird thing to bring up at the moment, but I couldn't get the thought out of my head as I watched Sasuke using 'Chidori', which closely resembled Kakashi's 'Lightning Blade'. "I mean, I've never even seen you fight, now that I think about it. Do you have any special jutsu?"  
     
Ari was silent as he watched Sasuke run down the side of the arena wall and jab his hand into Gaara's sand bubble of defense with all of his power, finally able to properly make Gaara bleed. He avoided my gaze and continued to watch the match without so much as a word.   
     
"Ari-Sensei? Is something wrong?"  
     
Nothing.  
     
"Sensei, I'm sorry if I said anything offensive to you; I didn't mean it-----"  
     
He quickly jumped up from his seat as there were screeches of terror in the distance, and several ninjas began to move into the stands. A certain genjutsu was currently being placed on the crowd, and everything was falling asleep.   
     
 _Oh hell no._  
  
 _Kai: Release!_  
  
Because I had realized what was happening in time, I had just managed to keep myself from falling lifelessly onto the floor.  
     
"Faith! I want you to go after Naruto-----"  
     
I completely disregarded what Ari had said as I watched Hokage-Sama being taken away from the stands.  
     
"-----FAITH?! Did you hear me?! I said-----"  
     
"-----I heard you! But I have more important matters to attend to!"  
     
"Like what?!"  
     
"Protecting the Hokage!"  
     
Ignoring the shouts of protest, I hopped through the crowds while avoiding as many enemies as possible. There was one that was unnecessarily persistent as he tried to follow me there. Just as I was about to get caught, a flash of green moved behind me and slammed the attacker into the wall.  
     
"Go!" Guy-Sensei shouted.  
     
 _You don't have to tell me twice._  
     
I almost didn't make it; it took a gigantic leap for me to even reach the rooftop of the building that he was taken to, much less make it into the large purple box that was enclosing him.  
     
 _What did I get into?_  
     
The perpetrator still had a kunai to Sarutobi-San's head, with their arm wrapped firmly around his head to keep him in place. They still hadn't noticed me, so I stayed as still as possible and completely masked my breathing as to not give myself away.  
     
Is that.......... The Kazekage?  
     
There were several confused questions floating around my head as the two of them looked accusingly at one another. The two of them looked relatively angry until Hiruzen's face morphed into that of shock.  
     
Why?  
     
Slowly, but surely, the Kazekage raised his kunai wielding hand menacingly towards his face and made a grab for it, casually pulling the skin from his countenance to reveal his true figure underneath.  
     
Orochimaru had returned.


	46. To Each Their Own

It was hard to keep silent once I caught sight of the monster that had harshly ended the lives of my teammates. I did it though since I knew better than to put myself in harm's way when I could interfere when necessary.  
     
That snake bastard.   
     
I didn't think much about his appearance being so perfectly executed, it was more along the lines of  _'why is he here in the first place?'_    
     
_And then I remembered._  
     
_**"What are you doing here in the first place, Orochimaru?!"**_  
     
_**"That's none of your concern. You can play hero when the time comes."**_  
     
_You can play hero when the time comes._  
     
He was preparing for this all along.  
     
I carefully watched with disdain as Orochimaru stabbed himself in the hand with tears in the corners of his eyes. Whether it was because of the pain, the surprise of facing his old Sensei, or the so-called 'sleepy yawn' he claimed to have was ambiguous, but he repudiated the feelings of being sentimental. He deliberately removed his arm from around Hiruzen's neck and stepped away, removing his disguise in a hurried fashion as he turned to look back at his old teacher.  
     
_What's gonna happen?_  
     
"Heh... You're the same as always."  
     
In a flash, the two removed their robes from their bodies and took their stances as they prepared to fight. As if on cue, the two of them lunged forward as they weaved hand signs at the speed of sound. Several hundreds of shuriken flew towards Orochimaru as the pale man's jutsu was initiated, and three grave looking things arose from the ground. Thankfully, Sarutobi-San was able to stop one of them, but inevitably the other two opened to reveal the bodies of two people who should be long gone.  
     
_The First and Second Hokage._  
     
The smirk on Orochimaru's face was as clear as day as he slowly walked up to the two bodies and inserted two tagged kunai into the backs of their heads.   
     
_What is this jutsu?!_  
     
Before I had the time to fully wrap my head around the situation, Sarutobi-San weaved more hand signs in hopes of attacking.   
     
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb!"  
     
The flames that erupted from his mouth took the form of a Chinese Dragon as it dived for the two Kage. It was so close to hitting both of them until the Nidaime weaved his own hand signs.  
     
"Water Style: Water Wall!"  
     
Just as the name suggests, a gust of water surged through and doused the flames before either of them were injured. A great tactic; if only they weren't the enemy.  
     
As I watched the Nidaime launch an attack of his own (only to be blocked by a mud wall) I looked to Orochimaru. He had implanted something into the brains of the two Kage, so perhaps if I attacked him, they would go away....?  
     
Worth a shot.  
     
When I went running forward and finally make my location known, I reached for a few kunai to toss at him. Unfortunately for me, just as I went to toss them, the Shodaime caught sight of my intentions and began his own jutsu.  
     
There were a bunch of trees.  
     
I shit you not, these trees appeared out of nowhere, and it wasn't difficult to trap me with them. Each branch and root served its own individual purpose, ensuring that the both of us were stuck.  
     
"Faith?! What are you  _doing_ here?!" Hiruzen questioned as he struggled to reach a flat surface. "You shouldn't be here!"  
     
"I came to help you!" I let out a small squeak of surprise when one of the branches made its way around my neck. Thankfully for me, it didn't constrict my airways, it only limited my head movement. "I..... I didn't think I'd be  _this_ useless....!"   
     
I heard more impatient shuffling and grunting from Sarutobi-San as he struggled in his spot to get himself free from the tree. With limited head movement, I wasn't able to turn and see much of what was going on.  
     
"Summoning Jutsu!"  
     
I heard the poof of someone or something appearing beside me, and I had luckily found relief once the branches that were restricting me were pulled away from me.  
     
"How in the world is he able to bring back the two Kage? What are we supposed to do?"  
     
"Well, as soon as the opportunity arises, I'm giving you some sort of opening so you can escape-----"  
   

"-----Escape? I'm not leaving! I'm staying here!" I politely nodded to the creature (Enma was his name) that had freed me from the tree and turned back to the Hokage before me. "I'm here to help! To take down Orochimaru!"

"Faith, I don't need you here to protect me. If something were to happen to me, I can't die knowing that I've gotten you killed too!"  
     
"Well, if not a protecting or assisting way, think of it like this.  _I_ _also_ _have_ _my_ _own_ _reasons_ _for_ _being_ _here_ _._ " I reached into my pouch and pulled out one of the few kunai that I had left. "At this point, if I am to die, then it was completely my decision. It has nothing to do with you."  

He paused for a moment as he tried to think through the situation as thoroughly as possible before he finally came to a conclusion. "Alright," he began, looking to Enma but speaking to me, "if you wish to do your own thing, then you're free to do so. Just know that I'm still here to help you. Be careful, please. I don't want another student in my village to pass on."

"I'll be careful. I promise."  
     
The both of us readied ourselves for the battle ahead; my kunai held tightly in my hand as Enma transformed into a mysterious black staff for Hiruzen to wield. As the both of us got our weapons ready, Orochimaru took full advantage of the moment to ready his own weapon. He didn't acquire his sword in a normal  _human_ manner; he opened his mouth as a snake slithered out, which seemed bad enough as is, except for the fact that the snake opened its mouth to allow a sword to slide out.   
     
Delightful.  
     
"I have  _several_ questions."  
     
"Fight now, questions later, Faith."  
     
"You did just watch a sword come from the snake that came from his mouth, right? Or was that just me?"  
     
"Faith."  
     
"Pedophile man has a likeness for the snakes. I get that. But it  _slithered_ _out_ _from_ _his_ _mouth_ _._ That's unsanitary."  
     
"Faith, we have to-----"  
     
"-----I mean, really now. I've seen some things in my ten years of living. But not that. Ech, anything other than that." As I was complaining, I took the kunai and readied it once more to attack. "That's weird, man."  
     
I wasn't too sure if he was personally offended, or if his sudden attack was there for the purpose of being a sudden attack, but there was a sudden attack. It happened. Hiruzen and I worked together in an attempt to overtake the man in front of us, but it seemed like a nearly impossible task with the previous Kage in the way. With the two of them working against us to assist with Orochimaru's cause. It felt like I wouldn't be able to help any. Hiruzen was kicking ass; he was able to send out blows of his own while also finding the time and energy to protect both of us from incoming attacks. I was reckless; I was surrounded by so many strong ninjas that I had an overwhelming feeling of being left out. If I didn't do my best to keep up, I was gonna be left behind.  
     
Not before long, we each backed off from one another as we huffed for each breath we took. I had a few scrapes and bruises from the moments that I wasn't protected. It was my own stupid fault; if I had been more careful when attacking, I might have been able to defend myself.  
     
"Are you alright, Faith?"  
     
"I'm fine."  
     
"Are you telling the truth, or are you just saying that?"  
     
"Trust me; I'm fine."  
     
I wasn't fine. The entire time that they spoke to one another, I was recoiling from a sharp pain in my side that had been bleeding quite a bit. I didn't know about it at first due to the rush of adrenaline that had been soaring through my body, but now that things were calmed down, I was starting to feel every bit of it. When I went to reach for the wound, I came into contact with a blood-covered shuriken that was tightly jabbed into my torso. Judging from the fact that not many of them had been used in this match, it had to be one of the few that I had used or one that Hiruzen sent flying earlier.  
     
Either way, this surely came back to bite me in the ass.  
     
_Hard._  
     
I knew better than to forcefully rip it out since I was in enough pain as is, but leaving it there proved to be a problem all on its own. Now that I knew of its existence, I was very uncomfortable and anxious, worried that if I did nothing I was gonna die. I tried to tell myself otherwise; I tried to convince myself in any way possible that everything was gonna be fine, but every time I caught sight of my blood-stained hand, I thought differently.  
     
_Am I going to die?_  
     
When I looked up in time to see Orochimaru in the process of ripping his face off the second time, I was unable to react properly. Although his face had changed into that of a younger version of himself, I was very calm when it came to him.   
     
My main concern was not dying.  
     
And I was failing.

 

  
** ** **

     
Things were chaotic all on their own back in the stadium. Ari, Kakashi, and Guy were fighting off as many ninjas as they possibly could, which wasn't all that many, considering that many of them lay unconscious at their feet.  
     
"Where the hell is Kyo when you need him?!" Kakashi questioned, being forced to shout over the sound of Guy slamming someone into the wall behind him.  
     
"I didn't see him!" Ari responded, ducking an incoming kunai. "Ever since the whole 'family incident', he's made every attempt ever to avoid me at all costs!"  
     
"Even when we need him the most?!"  
     
"Especially when we need him most!"  
     
Ari didn't say anything else after this, as he spent the rest of his time and energy fending off the attackers. He was curious about the whereabouts of his brother himself; he hadn't seen him at all during the events of the Chunin Exams, even when his own pupil was the one fighting. You'd think that he'd at least show his face for his favorite student, but there had been no sign of him anywhere.   
     
_Until he caught sight of that bright white hair._  
     
He was distracted for one second too long, and that second almost cost him his life. If it wasn't for Kakashi grabbing the back of the Sand Nin's collar, he would have been toast.  
     
"I can see Kyo! He's leaving the stadium!"  
     
"Then go after him!"  
     
"But-----!"  
     
"-----Guy and I can handle things here. Go get your brother!"  
     
Ari nods in agreement and made his way towards his escaping sibling, following him with several intentions. Kyo was going very fast, so Ari had to try really hard just to keep up with him. Kyo was racing across the empty space, eventually hopping through several trees to try and hide.   
     
_Where the hell is he going?_  
     
Kyo discreetly looked back over his shoulder at his pursuer as he very quickly dropped down into a small clearing that had been surrounded by trees.  
     
"Kyo? Kyo! What are you doing? We need to get back to the arena!"  
     
"I'm a little busy." He replied, dropping down to the ground below the both of them. "I have more important things to attend to rather than helping this indecent village."  
     
_What?_  
     
"What the hell do you mean? We need to fight the incoming ninja!" Ari dropped down on the forest floor in front of his brother, looking at him in an extremely confused way. "Kakashi and Guy are covering for us right now, but there are several other attacks on the village!"   
     
"Why should I fight them? Especially if I'm here to help them?"  
     
"Help them?" Several thoughts raced through Ari's mind as he looked straight into his brother's blood red eyes. "Why would you help the enemy?" His gaze sharpened as one idea crossed through his thoughts; he tried to ignore it as much as he could so he could eradicate it completely, but he had no such luck. "Kyo, what do you mean?"  
     
"I mean that I helped plan the attack,  _Ari._ I've sided with people who value my strength. With Lord Orochimaru to guide me, I've made more progress than I have in years. More progress than I've ever made with  _you._ "  
     
"You're working with Orochimaru?!"  
     
"Isn't that what I just said?"  
     
He couldn't accept it. The older brother that he had always looked up to was working with the enemy.  
     
Was this actually his brother?  
     
Kyo took advantage of this confusion by reaching down to his side in order to pull a kunai from his pouch. He readied it in his hand, pointing the blade at his own flesh and blood before him. "Thus, the reason I have to take you out."  
     
"Kyo, think about what you're doing."  
     
"Oh, trust me.  _I've thought about it for years._ " He hissed out with a smirk.  
     
"Kyo, please don't make me do this."  
     
"Then stand there as I kill you."  
     
_And then he lunged._

  
** ** **

     
Orochimaru wants Sasuke.  
     
At this point in time, I was fully prepared to find the emo fuck and hand him over, but Hiruzen thought otherwise. My blood loss wasn't bothering me as much as my mind was, as it began shifting into maximum overdrive, filling my head with many possible outcomes for the battle.   
     
_What if Sarutobi-San died?_  
     
_What if I died?_  
     
_What if the village was destroyed?_  
     
_What if I lived but was taken away to be a lab rat?_  
     
_What if?_  
     
I silently watched as Orochimaru returned his face to its original state, the smirk never once leaving his expression.  
     
"S-Sir, we may have a bit of an issue," I muttered, watching as Hiruzen shifted his gaze over his shoulder to look back at me. He seemed puzzled, but only for a moment as he looked at my pale expression.   
     
"Faith, what happened-----?!"  
     
"-----SARUTOBI-SAN, LOOK OUT!!"  
     
Before his eyes could go any lower to look at my injury, both of us were made to watch in horror as even more trees than before morphed before our very eyes. They quickly increased in number, and if it wasn't for Hiruzen's quick thinking, we probably would have died.  
     
"Watch out!" He shouted, pulling me out of the way of one of the more dangerous roots. "You have to be more careful. Enma!"  
     
"On it!"  
  
In the blink of an eye, the shape-shifting monkey thing changed into a cage, protecting us within it as the trees grew around us. If it wasn't for Enma, I could have actually obtained a broken neck.

"Are you okay?"

"Well, it depends on what you're referring to...."

He refused to give up asking about it, so I eventually gave in and showed him my side. When he was greeted with a shuriken caked with blood, and a wound that could possibly scar, he hesitantly weighed his options.  
     
One: Take more time and bandage it up, risking the safety of the both of us.  
     
Two: Or, leave the wound as it is, and meet whoever decided to attack head-on.  
     
We were on two sides of the same coin; he thought that he should take a look at it, and see if there was anything he could do, but I rebutted his argument by telling him the cons of doing so.  
     
"But, Faith," he began, taking a step closer, "if we don't treat it soon, you'll probably bleed to death right in front of me!"  
     
"I don't think it's wise to waste your time in this situation. You've bought time; now use it!" I was fully prepared to simply leave the tool there, stuck on my side like an annoying thorn. But then it hit me.  
     
Orochimaru said something about healing when we encountered one another.  
     
Something about Biju.

Is it possible that the Biju will help to heal this wound?

Deciding to test this theory, I swiftly yanked the shuriken from my torso, which quickly silenced Sarutobi-San. He watched in shock as I dropped the weapon at his feet and left the wound to bleed.  
     
"Now," I started, "what's our plan of attack?"  
     
He hesitated, but only for a moment before he swallowed the lump in his throat and thought it over. "I have an idea, but I'm not sure how it'll turn out." He put his hands together in order to create shadow clones, both of which stood beside him threateningly. "I don't think I have any other choice; I'll have to use the Reaper Death Seal."   
     
"The Reaper Death Seal? Isn't that the jutsu that killed the Yondaime?! Why would you use that?!"  
     
"It's the only way that I can think of finishing him off! Plus, if I can use it on the Shodaime and Nidaime, we'll easily finish this fight!"  
     
"But you'll  _die!_ "  
     
"For the sake of my village!"  
     
"Isn't there another way?!"  
     
He took the time to stop and think about what he was doing; the idea of sacrificing his life seemed entirely plausible for the situation at hand. He would be strong enough to take the souls of the previous Hokage, while also taking down the pupil that had been causing so many issues. A certain jutsu had crossed his mind, but the thought of using it seemed far too risky for the fight that they were in.  
     
"You can't possibly be thinking of that jutsu-----"  
     
"-----that's the only other one I know of that would disable Orochimaru's chakra, but allowing me to live, Enma. It's either that or death."  
     
"What jutsu are you talking about?"  
     
He looked at me very slowly, as if he was judging my abilities. "It's a sealing technique based off of the equivalent exchange. In exchange for your chakra use, you cut off the enemy's chakra use. It takes a lot of time and concentration though."  
     
"Do you need me to buy you time?"  
     
"Faith, it's not that simple."  
     
_"Do you need me to buy you time?"_  
     
".....................................Yes."  
     
From the way he hesitated, I knew that he was just as worried as I was. But we didn't have time to linger on those thoughts. As soon as Enma released the both of us, the clones set off for the Kage, and I went straight for Orochimaru.  
     
I only have to keep him busy.  
     
Don't worry about taking him down; that's a task that I don't have the strength for.

 

  
** ** **

 

Ari watched in shock as his brother dived for him, unsure of what to think. He gathered his thought in the nick of time as he realized what was happening, and he quickly dodged the incoming blow.

 _He wants to kill me!_  
     
"What; is this still over that damn will?! I said that I didn't want it! You can have it!"  
     
"You think this is  _still_ over that?! I've moved on, you child!" Kyo managed to catch himself as he ran towards Ari, only for them to tussle.  
     
"Then what is it?!" Kyo's kunai was dangerously close to his face, and it took all of his upper body strength to hold him back. "What makes Orochimaru more important than your own damn family, Kyo?!"  
     
A wicked grin grew on his face at the thought. "I can finally feel  _useful_ and  _free._ " He quickly pulled his arm back and away from Ari and glared him over before the pair each decided to hop back and further away from the other. "When with that  _God forsaken family,_ I was never able to be used to my full potential. I was never able to fulfill my  _needs._ And now? I can do whatever the hell I want. Whenever want. To whoever I want!" He ground his teeth together in devilish delight as his eyes burned with evil passion. " _I_ was the one who planned to kill you. No one else. Just me."  
     
The lump in Ari's throat made it nearly impossible to breathe. His own brother had literally planned to end his life, even despite the countless number of times that he's tried to connect. It didn't add up in his mind. Did he not try hard enough? Perhaps that was it.  
     
_"Ari, you have to be more careful! You could get yourself seriously injured!"_

 

  
** ** **

     
"Ari, you have to be more careful! You could get yourself seriously injured!"  
    
"I know... I'm sorry..."  
    
Kyo sighed at his little brother's empty promises. He was only one year younger than him; why couldn't he protect himself? He continued to show off in class and put himself in harm's way, only for the attention that he wanted to receive. "Ari, I mean it. You can't keep doing things like this for popularity! What if I wasn't around to help you all the time? What would you do then?" When he didn't reply to him, he sighed again and placed a band-aid on his brother's face. "You know how I feel about things like this, Ari. You get yourself hurt, and then what? Popularity isn't all that important, especially if you have a family, right?"  
     
"Right....."  
     
"Instead of hurting yourself over tiny things, try acting like yourself. You shouldn't have to change yourself; at least, not for me. You have nothing to worry about as long as I'm around."  
     
"Do you mean it?" Ari asked. Hurt clouded his gaze as he looked down at the bandages on his hands that covered his small cuts. "Everyone treats me like trash. Why do they do that?"   
     
Kyo didn't know what to say; all of the words that came to mind had been forcefully restrained due to the secrets that he wasn't able to tell. "They're probably just jealous of you, Ari. You've got the jokes to tell, you've got so many cool friends, and the list goes on!" When that didn't seem to convince him, he pats him on the shoulder comfortingly. "Everything will be fine. Just..... Try not to get yourself killed, alright?"  
     
"Kyo," Ari began as he watched Kyo begin to put away all of the medical supplies, "I just wanna know..... I mean; everyone else says it and I wanna prove 'em wrong, but..... Do you...... Do you not like me or something......?"  
     
"What?"  
     
"All of my friends and teachers keep saying that you don't like me for some reason. They keep saying all of these awful things, and I can't-----"  
     
"-----listen." Kyo cut Ari's sentence off as he hastily zipped up the medical kit. "Don't listen to anything they say, alright? I swear I'll always be here to protect you. Even when we're old and dying."  
     
"You promise?"  
     
"I promise."

  
  
** ** **

     
It took a moment for Ari to register that Kyo was lunging for him again, but when it did he swore he saw his life flash before his eyes. He was hesitating; it didn't matter that he was fighting for his life, the issue was that he was fighting for his life against his own brother. Not only that but if it wasn't for Ari's quick thinking, he would most certainly have died to the blows being delivered.   
     
"EVERY DAY!" Kyo screeched, growing angered once more when Ari blocked his furious blow to his neck. "EVERY DAY I HAD TO LIVE IN YOUR SHADOW! I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE STAR! NOT OUTSHINED BY MY SHOW OFF OF A BROTHER!" He forcefully shoved Ari backward, attempting to make him stumble clumsily. When he achieved success in this, he lunged forward once more with his kunai blocked by Ari's own blade.  
     
"THE PAST IS IN THE PAST, KYO! GIVE IT UP!" The sound of the harsh scraping metal was enough to make anyone's ears bleed from the intensity of it alone. The weapons were promptly retracted once the two had realized that no damage was being done. In order to get more distance to prepare their next attack, they jumped back once more and glared each other down. "YOU HATE ME SO MUCH, AND FOR NO LOGICAL REASON, KYO! CAN'T YOU JUST FORGIVE AND FORGET?!"  
     
He received an unhappy grunt in return of his proposal, which only further confirmed that it wasn't going to happen anytime soon. "Fuck you." He promptly replied. When Kyo saw his sibling grit his teeth in silent anger, he positioned his kunai so he could be ready to strike. Ari caught onto this and did the same, and the two abruptly dashed forward to attack at the same time. When the blades made contact with the opposing person, it was not in any vital areas, yet they were deep cuts on both of their right arms.  
     
Ari covered up the wound with his empty hand and watched as Kyo did the same. The blood that was flowing seemed to be disproportionate to the size of the wound; the cut may not have been long, but it was deep enough to cause a superfluous amount of blood to spill. "What do you think mom and dad would say if they saw you doing this?" It was a genuine question that he had asked his elder brother, and he wasn't entirely sure of what the response would be.  
     
"Knowing them? Probably something along the lines of,  _'I'm not surprised'._ "  
     
"Are you sure about that?"  
     
"Oh, I'm positive."

  
** ** **

     
"Ari! Ari, you finally graduated!" Kyo happily ran up to his sibling and warmly embraced him to congratulate him. "We're finally both Genin! We can do missions together-----"  
     
"-----but we're on different teams.....?"  
     
"R-Right. But still! We're Genin!" Kyo could hardly contain his excitement. "You did it!"  
     
"I did it!"

  
~

     
"Ari! Congrats!"  
     
"I'm so proud of you son!"   
  
Kyo watched from a distance as Ari received praise from their parents. The two of them were overjoyed to hear that their youngest son had achieved something great and proceeded to shower him with compliments.  
     
"You'll grow up to be a splendid ninja, Ari!"  
     
"You'll be the best heir to our family."  
     
"We couldn't be any happier!"  
     
Kyo kept silent as he watched Ari be lauded for his accomplishments, although he was confused as to why it was such a big deal. It was Genin rank; they were treating it like he was the next in line to become Hokage.  
     
_Wait....._  
     
_"You'll be the best heir to our family."_  
     
He was certainly confused by this since he was quite sure that the heir was meant to be the eldest son. Did he do something wrong? Did he not meet the 'qualifications'? What was the meaning of this?  
     
He'd have to ask them later.

  
~

     
"You're......... adopted."  
     
_What?_  
     
Several questions arose in his mind as he carefully looked over his parents. Sure, he didn't look anything like his mother, who had the same bright purple hair as his brother, and the same kind blue eyes, but it was hard not to confuse him with a younger version of his father! They both had the bright white hair that was brighter than fresh white snow, the same blue eyes that always had that suspicious glint in it. Although his father had a slight tan, which was rather dark against Kyo's pale skin, they looked completely identical!  
     
"How am I-----?"  
     
"-----Well...." His father paused as he shared a quick glance with his wife, and hesitantly turned back to meet Kyo's gaze. "You aren't  _really_ adopted, we just...."  
     
"........We have to tell people that."  
     
"Right."  
     
_Excuse me?_  
     
_What was the meaning of this?!_  
     
"Kyo," his father continued as he looked at his son's bewildered face, "we have several issues with the Cross Clan as it is; your mother was never supposed to get with me. You know that."  
     
"So you tell everyone I'm adopted?!"  
     
"The more people we convince, the easier it will be to convince the family that we're...... you know...."  
     
"That you're not my parents?"  
     
They nodded somberly at Kyo's bothered face and watched with pain in their eyes as Kyo jumped up from his seat and stormed out of the room without another word.

  
~

     
"Ari! Ari, can you come and train with us?" A small group of Genin had crowded around the two brothers in an instant, as the two had just settled underneath a shady tree. "We wanna practice for our mission tomorrow! Can you help?"  
     
"Well, I just now got here with my brother-----"  
     
"-----Go."  
     
Kyo pulled a book from his pouch and hastily opened it to a random page so that he seemed uninterested. "Go and train with your friends. I know how to read by myself." He said it in a joking way so no one would criticize him for it, but it was fully intended to be a rude and sarcastic remark.  _'You have to be nice to your younger brother, Kyo.'_ He remembered his mother saying.  _'Don't be rude to anyone for that matter. But your brother is a different case.'_  
     
"Are you sure?" Ari glanced down at Kyo's book and back over to his friends. " I don't wanna leave you here alone after we just arrived."  
     
"Go have fun. We can catch up later."  
     
"Are you sure? I mean-----"  
     
"----- I'll be fine. Just go."

  
** ** **

     
With blood running down their forearms, the two prepared for the next attack.  
     
"You don't have to do this," Ari began, "Kyo if you just stop and think about what you're doing, this can all be forgiven-----"  
     
"-----Rot in hell."  
     
_"Alright, Ari, when an enemy attacks you from this side, what do you do?"_  
     
_"Uh, fight them?"_  
     
Kyo tossed his weapon onto the ground and gathered chakra into his fist as it glowed a light green.  
     
_Ari watched the faint green glow appear on his older brother's hand._  
     
_"See this," Kyo began, "this concentrated chakra in my fist? It's an efficient way to use your chakra when in battle."_  
     
_"Yeah, so?"_  
     
_"I'm gonna teach you to focus your chakra."_  
     
_"Why?"_  
     
_"To put it simply, it's easier to knock the shit outta your enemies."_  
     
Ari watched his brother dash forward in front of him as his fist was aimed directly for his chest. He was lost in thought as he struggled to figure out what to do. He was 26 years old now; he wasn't the twelve-year-old Genin that cared more for popularity than knowledge, the child that cared more about physical appearance than actual strength. He was twenty-six years old and all he could do was watch as his role model hit him full force in the ribs, knocking the breath out of him and making him fall back into the cool embrace of the Earth. His breath had been greedily robbed from his lungs as soon as his back had made contact with the ground, but it didn't matter at all as he was prohibited from moving due to Kyo's foot harshly dropping down on his chest.  
     
Kyo stood over his brother with his foot digging deep into his chest. He paused over Ari for a moment, questioning if he should say anything to exacerbate the situation, but decided against it as he instead just lifted his leg and stomped on Ari's chest. When that grunt of pain wasn't enough for him, he continued to apply pressure to Ari's ribcage for further inflicted damage.  
     
"You don't know how long I've waited for this," Kyo began as there was a small crack from Ari's ribs, "how long I've waited for this day and moment; how long I've wanted to kill you!"  
     
He suddenly stomped on Ari's chest once more, sending unbearable pain through his brother's body. Ari's shouts of agony were music to his ears as Ari's hands weekly wrapped around his ankle in an effort to remove it. He was coughing up blood and gritting his teeth as he attempted to catch his breath again, but Kyo merely laughed sadistically as he stomped him into the ground again. There was a loud crack with this one, compared to the quieter one that had been heard previously. "Who's the best sibling now, huh? Who is worthy of the praise?"  
     
"Not...... you. That's for sure."  
     
A growl rumbled deep in Kyo's throat that was quickly cut short as Ari pushed his ankle out from under him. If he didn't put his arms out to catch himself, he would have landed full force on top of the smaller sibling. Because of the fall, he was put in a position that made him much closer to Ari then he had originally intended, but it did allow him to draw his fist back and smash it down on Ari's nose.  
     
When Kyo drew his fist back again for a second punch, Ari was ready for this one and turned his head, dodging the blow in general and giving him the opportunity to shove Kyo off of him and painfully roll over and away from him.   
     
"You always...... fucking hated me..... for the way they chose me....... over you," Ari clutched at his ribs painfully and inhaled sharply as a new wave of pain rolled through his chest, "I get that...... I'm... I'm sorry you..... had to go through that......"  
     
"AS IF! YOU KNOW NOTHING, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"

  
** ** **

     
"Stupid Kyo made me walk home by myself because he left early. What a douche." Ari was still hurrying to put some of his shurikens in his leg pouch so they wouldn't spill out when he got home. It was a hassle, but they eventually managed to stay where they belonged.  
     
When he finally reached his isolated abode, he was silently praying for peace when he opened the doors. He wasn't supposed to have been out; he was tasked with staying in the woods with his cell for an hour, then going straight home to do his chores (which, let's be honest, they were supposed to be done a month ago). When he left the cell earlier than he was supposed to, rather than going home to do his chores, he continued to find a place to relax and take a nap. Kyo was there but had decided to stop by the house, blah blah blah. Long story short, he didn't go home.  
     
How he wishes he did.  
     
He didn't expect the house to be so quiet and empty when he first arrived. He didn't expect to find his mother 'sleeping' peacefully in her bed, never to wake up again. He didn't expect to find his father, still alive, slowly passing on into his eternal sleep.   
     
"Please," He had said, "Please stay safe. Please stay strong." His faint smile became apparent as his eyes closed, and he rested his head against his son's chest. "I love you, Ari. So much." His last words continued to ring through Ari's head even after his tears had been shed and dried by his own hand. It didn't make sense; they never seemed sick to him, and they weren't too old for and they weren't too old for it to deem a 'natural' death. His mother was forty-seven, and his father was fifty. The never seemed sick to him, and yet he wasn't able to get the lump out of his throat when he had heard that they had been sick for months, and they only had a short time left to live.  
     
Why didn't they tell him?  
     
He could have done more!  
     
He  _should_  have done more.  
     
Shortly after Kyo had been alerted of what happened, the two were left to decide what they had to do. Kyo, being eighteen at the time, had almost immediately decided to take charge of the situation. Several medical Ninja had arrived to remove the bodies, while several Jonin and even the 3rd Hokage himself had shown up to see what the issue was.  
     
"Ari, Kyo, are the both of you alright? This is a traumatic experience to go through; it happened so suddenly without your knowing." The Sandaime looked between the two of them with concern as he spoke. " I know there isn't much I can do to help the situation any. But if you ever need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to ask-----"  
     
"Lord Hokage! We've found something within the house! I..... I believe it's the will!"  
     
The Sandaime had turned his head over his shoulder to look back at the ninja who had spoken but turned his head back over to look at the siblings before him. When the two of them gave him blank and confused looks, he turned back to the Jonin. "Bring it here; they've yet to see it."  
     
When the Jonin brought the scroll back over to the three, Ari hadn't even realized that he had begun to cry once more. While Ari was busy drying his eyes and apologizing to the Sandaime, and Kyo was thinking long and hard about 'what the fuck just happened', the scroll had been opened and read off to them by Lord Third himself.  
     
_'If you are reading this, then it means that we have passed on, and the seal has been broken. To keep things short and simple, we only do what we must. We have chosen that Ari, not Kyo, is the be the heir to the family and that every possession that we own is to be passed on to Ari. It's a sudden request, but this is what we would have wanted'._  
     
Everything was a blur.  
     
Kyo never seemed to move from his right side as the ground beneath him felt like it was shifting in all of the wrong ways. His stomach churned and his mouth went dry from all of the information he was taking in. He vomited; not in too much excess but it was enough to fill his mouth with the contents of his lunch and force him to spill it onto the ground at his feet.  
     
"They..... they wrote that? In the will, I mean.... that wrote all of that?" Kyo had finally succeeded in swallowing the lump of uneasiness in his throat, and by doing so he enabled himself the ability to speak. "They..... there weren't any more notes or anything? Nothing at all?"  
     
"I'm sorry," the Jonin apologized, "that was the only thing that we could find. They didn't leave anything else."

  
~

     
Nearly five days had passed since their parents had passed on, and Kyo was still nowhere to be found. Shortly after the contents of the will had been read aloud, he went off to God only knows where, and hasn't been back since. Before he had left though, Ari had actually tried his best to speak and reason with him about the will, but Kyo refused to hear any of it.  
     
"I don't need your stupid will. I don't need anything from you or that damn family."  
     
Because Kyo had decided that he wanted no part in helping with expenses and the care of their parents, Ari was left the burden of it all alone. Where at Kyo gone? Who knows? He wasn't there to help with anything. He did nothing.  
     
That was all that mattered.

  
** ** **

     
"Maybe if you had.... had fuckin' been there.... the moments they peacefully took their last breaths, they might have-----"  
     
"-----they might have what? Shamed me for not prolonging their life? Oh, believe me, I was there. I was there when you were not."  
     
"What....?! What the hell do you mean?! Our..... our father died.... in my fucking arms!" Ari gradually began to rise from the ground, wrapping his arm protectively around his ribs with his left arm, whilst his right arm continued to bleed.  
     
"In your head they did."

  
** ** **

     
Orochimaru was a monster.  
     
It didn't take long to come to that conclusion, rather, it only took a matter of minutes to decide that he was too strong and I stood no chance. Even if my task was to keep him busy, it was far too difficult to simply stand and look him in the eyes for more than five seconds.  
     
"Come on, Faith. You can do better than that, can't you?" He taunted as I rose from the ground again. "You make it seem as if each of my tests were all for naught."  
     
The old snake fuck knew everything that would get underneath my skin, and he was successfully using that to his advantage. Sarutobi-San hadn't given any indication that he was finished 'charging' up his jutsu, so I was left to fending for myself. None of the clones had made another appearance though, so it led me to believe that they had either completed their task or had been taken down in the process.  
     
"Your tests were all for naught anyway, since your modified human lab rat turned against you." I gently wiped some blood from my cheek that was produced by my fresh cut. "You didn't think this through, did you? You didn't think I'd have a mind of my own and that I wouldn't stop to kiss your feet every time you passed, right?  _Lord Orochimaru._ " I halt myself from saying anything else due to his sword being thrust in my general direction, and I directed all of my attention to avoid it entirely. It narrowly missed my shoulder as it dug into the roof below me as I stumbled to stay standing. "You don't tend to think these things through, do you? Lord Orochimaru doesn't know how to use his brain-----" Before I was given any time to react, snakes flowed out from under his sleeve and wrapped themselves around my neck as he lifted me off of the ground.  
     
"I believe you've worn out your welcome in this fight." He hissed out, raising me higher from the solid platform beneath my feet. "Did you honestly think that you stood a chance against me?"  
     
"To........ To be fair.......? No...... I didn't......" When the snakes tightened around my throat, it took everything in me to continue breathing and not fall victim to death. "But........."  
     
"But what?" He chuckled with a sly grin.  
     
"I know........ Sarutobi-San can, you prick."  
     
As if on cue, Lord Third hopped down from his hiding spot in the trees, his hands glowing a light red color as he charged for Orochimaru. The sheer speed of Sarutobi-San gave the vile snake man no choice but to drop me from within his grasp in order to protect himself.  
     
Things went fuzzy as I dropped, as I tried to catch my breath in order to see what was happening before me. Hiruzen had firmly gripped Orochimaru's shoulders to keep him in place, as the red from his hands started to seep into the snake's body.  
     
"Damn you, old man.....!" Orochimaru hissed out as he looked over Hiruzen's shoulder to something that lay on the ground. "Die!" He extended two of his fingers and retracted them shortly after. It wasn't until too late that I realized what he was going for.  
     
His sword.  
     
I tried the best I could to stop it, and still, it wasn't enough. My hands had subconsciously wrapped themselves around the blade (just as Enma's did) yet it wasn't enough to stop it from jabbing into his abdomen. My vision was still a little off as I tried peeling my hands off of the sword but found that it took quite a bit of time, due to the pain that shot up my arms.  
     
Is Sarutobi-San going to die?

  
** ** **

     
"The hell do you mean,  _'In your head they did'?_ " He hissed in pain as his ribs decided to give him even more pain than he was already dealing with. "That doesn't make any sense-----"  
     
"-----have you ever heard of a thing called  _genjutsu?_ "  
     
"That's not possible. How else would they have died?!"  
     
_"Like the dirty assassins they were."_

  
** ** **

 

**_They never told you anything, Ari._ **

     
Kyo closed his book and put it away in his pouch as he opened the door to his home. He had left Ari back so he could get home early but was worried about the scolding he'd get for staying out.  
     
"I'm home," Kyo stated as he closed the door behind him.  
     
"Is Ari with you?" His mother poked her head around the corner to look at his as she held the laundry basket in her arms.  
     
"No. I think he's still with his cell." That was a downright lie; he had just seen him before returning home himself, yet he kept his promise that he wouldn't rat him out. "I can go and see if you want......?"  
     
"No," she replied, pulling the basket up under her arm, which seemed to be empty, "I'm sure he'll show soon." She set the basket down on an adjacent table after she noticed how much of a dead weight it was and motioned for Kyo to follow her. "C'mere. I wanna show you something." She excitedly left the room and headed to her bedroom, which gave Kyo no choice but to follow. "Your father and I went out today and got something for your brother." She was searching through several drawers as she struggled to remember where she had put it. "He'll be turning eighteen soon; he's making his way into adulthood, and I think that it's about time he's learned the family jutsu. It took a while to get the scroll, but we found it." She pulled it out from a box that had been underneath the bed and held it up for Kyo to see. "What do you think?"  
     
Before Kyo could get a word in, there were furious knocks on the door to the house. They were relentless; just when you thought the hits would stop, they'd be back before you knew it.  
     
"T-Toshi? Can you-----?"  
     
"-----I've got it, dear." Kyo's father replied.  
     
_That was a mistake._  
     
Whether it was because the door hadn't been opened fast enough, or if it was that they had simply grown impatient from the wait was unclear, but it  _was_ loud and clear when the door was sent flying off its hinges and his father grunted in pain.  
     
"WHERE IS SHE, YOU BASTARD?! WHERE IS THE TRAITOR?!" There was a sound of glass breaking and more grunts of pain. "WHERE'S THE DISGRACE THAT YOU CREATED?!"  
     
"W-We don't......! We have an heir! The heir is perfect-----!"  
     
"-----LIES!" A loud thud resonated throughout the house. "TELL US WHERE THEY ARE!"  
     
_"Kyo, you need to hide.....!"_ His mother whispered as quietly as possible.  _"_ They're  _here!"_  
     
**_Not a single word._**  
     
"SEARCH THE HOUSE FOR THE TRAITOR AND HER SON!"  
     
**_They were shit people, really._**  
     
"Go......!"  
     
He moved to the wardrobe as quickly and as quietly as he could, shutting the door behind him as he watched his mother run from the room.   
     
**_Cold blooded killers. Our mother was, anyway. But instead of doing what she was told, she fell in love with our father._**  
     
"He isn't here! He's long gone! You won't find him!"   
     
**_The clan doesn't like when you oppose them. So they went into hiding._**  
     
There was another thud and a loud screech from his mother.  
     
**_Shortly after, I was born._**  
     
"TOSHI!"  
     
**_A year later, you were welcomed._**  
     
"DON'T GIVE UP YOUR SEARCH ON THE HOUSE! CHECK EVERY HIDING SPOT!"   
     
"T-THEY AREN'T HERE! HE LEFT AGES AGO! THEY AREN'T-----!"  
     
"-----SILENCE!"  
     
Another thud.  
     
**_They only told me about the history of our 'mother's' people, and how they had grown soft over the years._**  
     
There were loud footsteps throughout the house as several other men moved through the rooms.  
     
"Search each room!" The main guy said.  
     
"We don't have time for that! The Hokage has been alerted!"  
     
**_I was kind back then._**  
     
A hand reached for the knob of the closet he was hiding in.

 _ **Back as a child. Over the years though, I grew to resent them more. I grew to resent**_ **you** ** _more.  
_**  
"We have to go!"   
     
The hand was quickly pulled away and the footsteps retreated from the house.  
     
**_You were their pride and joy. I was nothing. Their firstborn son was nothing._**  
     
Kyo peeked out of the closet with wavering hands, afraid of what he'd see. When he left the room and saw the blood that painted the walls, it took everything in him not to scream. His parents lay at his feet, bleeding and dead.  
     
Or, so he thought.  
     
**_They loved you. But it was all an act for me._**  
     
"This........ This is your fault, Kyo........ You did this......" His mother had whispered. "If only you had been Ari........ If only........"  
     
**_I knew that you were on your way home. When the Hokage arrived, I set the genjutsu on you and told him what happened. He went with it._**  
     
There wasn't anymore shaking as he processed what had been said.  
     
If only he was Ari.  
     
Of course.  
     
**_They got what they deserved._**

  
** ** **

     
"They got what they deserved."  
     
"NO! THAT IS NOT HOW IT HAPPENED!"  
     
"Oh? Well, if you want, I can put you six feet under with them so you can ask them yourself." His younger brother was boiling with rage as tears threatened to spill from his eyes. "Don't you still tell the kids that they died from old age? My, what a lie that has been-----"  
     
"----- THEY WERE NOT COLD BLOODED KILLERS!"  
     
"Where do you think you got the purple hair from? Our mother." Kyo smirked as he looked his brother up and down. "We both got her eyes; only mine have stayed this color though." His smirk faded into something more of a grimace. "I wasn't angry about that damn will. I knew you would get it. You were meant to be the heir.  _You were meant to be a murderer._ "  
     
Ari's head was spinning at an alarming rate as he tried to process what was going on. His family was full of murderous people! And he was intended to be the same? This couldn't be real! It's only something he's said to throw him off.  
     
"But they went soft. Perhaps if I had been born with the abilities, I could have helped stop them from dying. But since I was more like our father, they were convinced." He went silent for a moment before continuing. "Now I don't have to worry about death. But you do."  
     
This wasn't real. It couldn't be. The only thing that his claims were doing was angering him far more than he needed right now.  
     
"How about you show me what a homicidal maniac can do?"  
     
"I AM NOT A KILLER! I WILL NEVER TURN INTO ANYTHING LIKE YOU!" Ari held his ribs in pain as he coughed up small specks of blood.  
     
"Because it's such a bad thing being me, right? Yeah, I've been raised to think that."  
     
"I LOVED YOU, KYO! YOU ALWAYS DID THIS TO YOURSELF! YOU WERE ALWAYS SO DISTANT FROM ME, AND YOU AVOIDED ME AT ALL COSTS!"  
     
_"It should have been me in your place. I should have been the one with all of the power. Then there would have been no need for you in the first place."_  
     
The two had once more lunged forward in order to kill one another. Ari was becoming more and more convinced that Kyo wasn't worth bringing back, and his blinding rage was further convincing him. A small voice in his head was holding onto a tiny sliver of hope that this could end and that they could just go home in peace; even if it meant that he would be hated, he would much prefer it over his brother's death. "YOU WANT THIS 'SKILL' SO MUCH, KYO?! THEN FUCKING HAVE IT!!" Ari brought his hands together and weaved his hand signs; the same signs that he had copied from his supposed eighteenth birthday present. "HIDDEN TECHNIQUE: POISON GAS!" As soon as the words had left his lips, he felt his lungs fill with toxic gas. Once he felt that it was enough to make him explode, he exhaled every bit of it into the air around him.   
     
"Finally," Kyo laughed, an evil laugh, as he looked his brother right in the eyes, "you finally have the same eyes as I." He slowly raised his hand to cover his mouth and nose as he attempted to find an alternative to the poison. The poison was spreading throughout the area, causing all of the plants to die.  
     
"I'm giving you  _one last chance,_ Kyo."  
     
_"You are_ nothing  _to me."_  
     
Giving Ari no time to respond, Kyo ran forward with his kunai at the ready, slashing Ari's right side open. This time though, Ari was ready for it, so after his side was thoroughly cut through, he focused the chakra into his fist and turned, connecting right on Kyo's spine, sending him shooting forward into a tree. As Kyo slammed face first into the tree, Ari looked down at his injured side and the blood that was pooling from it.  
     
Once Kyo had recovered from the blow, he turned with his own fist glowing with chakra, and the two ran at each other with bright red eyes and dark intents.  
     
_It didn't have to be this way._  
   
When the fists made contact with the opposing face, they were both tossed back and flat onto the ground. It's like their brains had scattered; it was hard to see and everything hurt like hell. Kyo was breathing rather heavily, as the poison slowly began to seep into his lungs. Ari, on the other hand, was bleeding out rather quickly and clutching his broken ribs in pain. 

"I...... I was always....... so jealous of you...... always so happy...... and always being noticed......." Kyo muttered with ragged breaths, the poison slowly beginning to take over his body.  
     
The two continued to lie in silence and stared up at the sky, slowly waiting for their ends.  
     
"You're still my brother, Kyo....... don't...... don't ever forget that......"  
     
Kyo was surprised to hear that come from his brother's mouth, especially the brother that he had tried to kill literally moments before. He knew his brother was nice; he'd lived with him for seventeen years. But this? "Heh........ I suppose........ I can...... say the same............." The poison was slowing his heart down at an alarming rate, letting him know that he wasn't going to last for more than a minute. He took one last look up at the clouds as he closed his eyes for the last time.   
     
_"Look! It's the Cross brothers!"_  
     
_"Someone get a medical ninja!"_  
     
_"Don't worry, Ari! We're getting help!"_

  
** ** **

     
It was dark.  
     
Kyo was surrounded on all sides by never-ending darkness. He felt lost; he couldn't see anything and he had absolutely no inkling as to where he was.  
     
"Kyo....?"  
     
The familiar voice felt soothing in such a strange place as this, but he wasn't sure if it were real or all in his head.  
     
"Kyo.....? Kyo.......! Kyo!"  
     
He squinted his eyes as his eyes slowly started to focus, or rather, the area around his began to morph into something much brighter. A wide open field with a gentle breeze to blow through all of the colorful flowers. The sun overhead was so bright that it nearly blinded him at first, but his eyes soon adjusted to the sight before him.  
     
Mom and Dad.  
     
They were standing side by side with concerned faces, unsure if they were welcome to come near. They looked as if they hadn't aged a bit; at least from the day that they had left.  
     
"Mom.......? Dad........? Is that......? Is that really you.....?"   
     
The two nodded in confirmation.  
     
"Kyo," his mother began, "I...... I'm so sorry...... For...... For all of the things that I've ever done to you! You deserved so much better!"  
     
"You never asked for much, son. You were such a bright kid, but we were always more worried about our own backs."  
     
"I'm so sorry-----"  
     
He hadn't even realized he was crying. Tears were incessantly spilling from his eyes as he approached the two in front of him.  
     
_"Don't worry about it,"_ he whispered with a small smile on his face, his bright  _blue_ eyes glinting with tears, " _Let's go home."_

  
** ** **

     
My hands had finally been removed from the blade, but my hands were cut deeply open from the force of me trying to catch it. I wasn't worried about it though, as I slowly crawled towards the hilt of the sword.   
     
"I'm taking you down, Orochimaru!" Hiruzen roared out as the jutsu soon took over both of their bodies. "Say goodbye to your chakra usage.....!"   
     
"Damn you.......!"  
     
It's as if I had activated something the moment I removed the sword from Sarutobi-San's back. As soon as the blade clattered to the ground, the pair suddenly jolted in front of my very eyes, and I watched as each of their energy were zapped from their bodies. It was so sudden; Hiruzen began to fall backward, right into Enma's and my clutches, while Orochimaru's  _loyal servants_ removed their barrier in order to retrieve their leader. Neither of them was dead, but if I didn't help attend to the Hokage, he wouldn't last much longer.   
     
One large framed teen managed to carry Orochimaru in his arms, while the other three stopped to contemplate whether or not they should proceed to finish Sarutobi-San off. When I noticed this, I shakily stood from the ground and stepped in front of him in a feeble attempt to protect him.  
     
"Try me..... C-C'mon. Just try it..... I dare you." My legs felt as if they were going to collapse underneath my weight, but I refused to show it. I held Orochimaru's sword within my hand and readied myself fully to use it. When the three looked at the state of their leader, they ultimately decided that we were to live another day.  
     
After the group left, I quickly dropped the sword at my feet and turned back to kneel and apply pressure to Sarutobi-San's wound. "Enma." I addressed him, not taking a moment to look at him as I focused on the wound. "Go and get help!"  
     
"I'm on it!"   
     
Enma quickly jumped off, leaving Hiruzen and I to ourselves. He was still awake, but he needed immediate care if he were ensured survival.  
     
"I'm proud of you, Faith."  
     
"Don't speak right now, sir. You have to save your energy-----"  
     
"-----Faith." I slowly moved my eyes from my hands so that I was able to look him in the eyes as he wanted. "I mean it. You've done extremely well today, and if it wasn't for you, I would have died." When he saw that I was going to open my mouth to protest, he drowned me out to continue. "You're better than you give yourself credit for, Faith."  
     
"I'm only a Genin, sir. I'm just doing my job-----"  
     
"-----a Chunin. A Chunin that is much more than she's viewed as." He watched as my eyes widened in surprise at his statement, and a smile made its way onto his lips. "I'm lucky to have you within my ranks, Faith."

  
Because I'm terrible at descriptions:

Kana:

Toshi:


	47. A Trip With New Encounters

The sun was shining brightly overhead this time around as a funeral was held for the members of Kyo's cell that had died. Kenji was gone; after the village went crazy with bloodlust for the other villages, he managed to escape while he had the chance and never showed his face once. He certainly didn't show up for their funerals, so it was other family members who had shown up for support.  
     
Akyra didn't seem to have any siblings, only her parents; her mother had the same flame red hair as she, with the same sharp green eyes. She was her mother's spitting image. While her mother, Akane, was busy crying her eyes out, her father Takashi stood with her protectively at his side. He was sad as well; you could see it in his distraught green eyes. He looked more of the strong and silent type though, with dark brown hair and a 'fuck boi' haircut, his clean and tamed stubble matching his hair color. The two of us locked eyes for a moment, and he looked angry at first, but his eyes quickly changed more into despair.   
     
When it came to Senri's family, Tomoko (his mother) has straight blond hair and bright blue eyes that had tears streaming from them. On a good day, you'd see her as a complete ditz; she was super friendly and kind, but she was extremely forgetful at times. Nori, Senri's father, was more of a serious type. He had the same light brown curls that Senri had, but he had dark brown eyes which were now clouded with grief. His parents were the only ones who had shown up, as Senri's little sister Hana was being held in her father's arms. She had her mother's blond hair which was held up in two pigtails with pom poms to hold them up, with her little curls at the ends. She had her bright blue eyes, which were currently looking at her brother's casket in confusion, wondering why her brother wouldn't 'wake up'.  
     
When it came to Kyo, nearly no one had shown up for him. The only one who had was Ari, and technically he wasn't even supposed to be out of the hospital to come and do so. He did though, taking a wheelchair as he went and rolling himself all the way here. He wouldn't tell me how he had passed, only that he had 'died a hero in his own way'.  
     
It was a silent time. Lord Third had been fully taken care of after his fight with Orochimaru, as he stood with bandages wrapped around his arms, and his abdomen stitched up and wrapped in its own bandages.  
   

Right now, it was only silence. There were no words to be spoken at this moment. This was a time for mourning.

  
** ** **

     
After the events of the Chunin Exams, it was made official that Shikamaru and I had advanced to Chunin rank. We were the only two who had done so; even then, the only reason that I had really advanced to the rank in the first place was that of what I had done to help the Sandaime. I still accepted it though, taking my vest with pride and thanking him endlessly.  
     
Due to the events that had taken place earlier, there were no missions for me to partake in. To be completely fair, the village didn't technically have a functioning Hokage, so we weren't in a proper position to be handing out missions. With the free time that I had, I managed to catch up on some solo training to help keep my mind off of some things. Once I had felt that I had enough, I decided to buy Ari some flowers that I could drop off to him.  
     
When I opened the door to Sensei's room, he was sitting quietly on his bed and reading a book. I didn't quite catch a glimpse of the title, but I couldn't really pay it any mind when he happily looked up at me.  
     
"How are you holding up, Sensei?" I asked, politely handing him the flowers as his eyes lit up with pure joy. "I heard that you took quite the beatin' after I left. Sorry about that, by the way."  
     
"Well, I'm breathing," he took the flowers with a smile and took in all of the beautiful colors and smells, "but don't worry about me, though. You did what you had to do." He chuckled as he brought the flowers up to his nose to smell the wonderful scents. "How are you doing?"  
     
I chuckled as Ari took yet another whiff of the flowers and shrugged my shoulders halfheartedly (probably to make it seem like more of a surprise). "Well,  _this_ Chunin is about to be a lot busier."  
     
He nearly leaped from his seat at this, and I had to forcefully sit him back down so his IV didn't go wonky. "You became a Chunin?!" He questioned, eyes sparkling with delight. "That's amazing!!"  
     
"Lord Third told me himself. My vest is at home."  
     
"That's great!" He smiled happily and pulled me in for a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you!"

  
** ** **

     
It wasn't too long after the interaction that I had decided to go out for something to eat. Unfortunately, Ari wasn't able to accompany me outside, but he did bid me farewell as I went on my way.   
     
I made my way towards Ichiraku's Ramen, and once I lifted up the flap, I wasn't all too surprised to find Naruto there.  
     
"Hey, Naruto," I began, taking a seat beside him and carefully deciding on my choice of food, "I'd say I'm surprised to see you, but then again, is there a day when you aren't here?"  
     
He happily slurped up his noodles as he tried his best to hurry up so that he could speak. "Truer words have never been spoken." He gave his typical grin with his eyes shut tight. "But enough of that; what did the Hokage call you in for today?" He watched as my bowl of ramen was placed in front of me, and turned back to his own bowl as he waited for my response.  
     
"Oh, you don't know?" I hesitated about taking a bite so I could finish what I was saying. "I became a Chunin. He called Shikamaru and me in there to give us our vests." After speaking I reached into my bag to pull out a fork and began to eat my noodles.  
     
"No way, you became a Chunin?!"  
     
"Mmmhmm!" I happily nommed on my ramen, and slurped it up, chewing contently before speaking once more. "It surprised me as well. I didn't think I was deserving of the title."  
     
"Nonsense," Naruto began after finishing off his bowl, "you deserved it! Just as much as Shikamaru did!"  
     
"You think so?"  
     
"I  _know_ so!"  
     
It wasn't long afterward that I had finished my own bowl, and I finished in just the nick of time as the famous toad sage himself appeared inside the ramen establishment.   
     
"Hey, Naruto? Are you busy?"  
     
"I was talking with Faith-Chan here, why?"  
     
"Well, let's just say that I've planned a surprise trip."  
     
SuRpRiSe TrIp, YoU sAy??  
     
I was too busy gawking at the legendary Sannin to register anything of what was going on, but I finally caught on once the two began to leave. Quickly, I slapped my money onto the table and thanked Teuchi and Ayame, then followed by the duo to see where they were going.  
     
"-----I wanted you to go with me to interview a female."  
     
"What's in it for me?"  
     
"Well-----"  
     
"-----CAN I GO?!"  
     
I lost all common sense in the moment as I rushed towards the two with haste. When I realized what I had said, I blushed nervously and stuttered. "I...... I mean..... That's a weird request, actually..... I uh....." The two looked at me questioningly, and it only made me even more nervous.  
     
"Naruto, what's wrong with your girlfriend?"  
     
"She's NOT my girlfriend!"  
     
"Right, right. I forgot." Jiraiya rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he carefully planned out the situation in his head. "Anyways..... I didn't really plan on bringing anyone ELSE along..... But uhhhh......" He looked at my ecstatic figure and chuckled, "I think I can make an exception."  
     
"If you plan to take her, then take her instead of me." Naruto huffed and angrily crossed his arms over his chest. "I dunno why she'd wanna go anyways; Pervy Sage isn't gonna do anything but chase after women, 'ya know?"  
     
_"Guess  I'll have to teach girly here the new jutsu instead. It's a shame; I think you would've liked it."_  
  
"I'LL GO PACK MY THINGS!"  
     
"That's what I thought."

  
** ** **

     
After packing a backpack full of the things I'd need, I left to go and meet Jiraiya at the gate. I made sure to buy Lee a bouquet of flowers before packing, so I was set when it came to that aspect. Rather than finding the two of them at the gate waiting for me, I found that only Jiraiya was waiting, and he was impatiently waiting for our arrival.  
     
"Sorry for taking so long, Mr. Sannin. I bought some flowers for my friend that's in the hospital."  
     
"Don't worry about it." He crossed his arms over his chest as he looked past me into the village. "I'm just worried that Naruto is gonna pull a stupid move and pack his entire house with him."  
     
I sweatdropped nervously at this, knowing full well that it was something that Naruto would do. "It's scary how accurate you sound." I titled my head slightly to the side as I thought it over. "He's probably dragging a bag full of useless junk along the way, and d-----"  
     
"-----alright! Let's go!"  
     
As if I had somehow managed to predict the future, Naruto had shown up dragging a  _huge_ bag with him that was bigger than the three of us combined.  
     
"No."  
     
"No, what?"  
     
"You better put that stuff back."

  
** ** **

     
The three of us began over travels shortly after Naruto had managed to decide on what he actually needed to bring with him on the trip, and then we each headed out on our adventure. Jiraiya proceeded to brag quite a bit about how great he is, and how Naruto took it for granted. I didn't pay much attention to the two of them arguing, rather, I was far too busy enjoying the view of everything around me.  
     
We reached a hotel in no time, and Jiraiya was left to walk up and pay for a room. Just as we were going towards the room, Jiraiya had (unfortunately) caught sight of a woman.  
     
"Umm, Naruto? Girly? Why don't the two of you head towards the room? I'll be there shortly."  
     
"Leave it to Pervy Sage to leave us for a woman," Naruto grumbled as he sat on one of the beds. "You think he's so great, all he really does is chase women and drink!"  
     
"I didn't think he was like that," I sat my backpack on the floor and headed towards the bathroom, "I only go by the 'legends'. The legendary Sannin Jiraiya? I've heard he was really cool. I've met two of them in my lifetime; now all I gotta meet is the medic." Judging from Naruto's impatient huff, I assumed that he didn't acknowledge much of what I said. Because of this, it allowed me to use the bathroom in peace, just as there was a knock on the door.  
     
"Naruto, who is that?" I asked as I turned off the sink from washing my hands. "Is it Jiraiya?"  
     
Nothing.  
     
"Okay, that's cool. Don't answer me." I opened the door to see that Naruto was no longer sitting on the bed. "Naruto?" I poked my head around the door and saw Naruto standing at the door, looking up at two unexpected visitors. Dark red eyes glared at me as I made my location known. I stealthily moved my hand down to my side to reach for a kunai, but I was caught in the process.  
     
"There's no need for that."  
     
_Shit._  
  
I walked out of the bathroom with my hands held up lazily in defeat, prepared to defend the two of us if need be. I didn't want to be the one to initiate anything though, just in case they were prepared too.  
     
"If I knew that we would be getting guests, I would've dressed up for the party," I muttered, walking out the door after Naruto. Rather than getting a small chuckle to try and lighten the mood (which was a stupid idea), all I got were two scary glares from the visitors. "Quick question: why are you two here?"  
     
Before I could obtain a proper response from one of them, rushed footsteps padded down the hall straight to us, revealing the small raven-haired emo that I've grown to hate.  
     
Sasuke.   
     
His Sharingan was activated as he glared at the cloaked man before Naruto and I. With the emotion that was written all over Sasuke's face, it was clear that the two of them had met previously.  
     
"Sauske, who the hell is this guy?!" Naruto asked nervously, looking at his cell member and the two men who were attempting to kidnap him. "What is he-----?"  
     
"Itachi Uchiha."  
     
"My younger brother."  
     
Now that I thought about it, the two of them resembled one another greatly; they both had pale blank faces that showed no emotion, the intimidating look in their eyes that was only magnified with the Sharingan, the dark raven colored hair, the list continues. But why was he here?  
     
Hearing a rather loud chirping sound, I focused my attention back to Sasuke only to see him dashing towards us with Chidori. Hoping to prolong my life, I dove to the side to avoid it, which caused me to receive a curious glare from Sharkboy. The wall was currently being destroyed by Sasuke's Chidori as he charged for his elder brother down the hall, only for it to be prematurely ended by Itachi grabbing him by the wrist to stop him.  
     
What do we do to this guy??  
     
I glanced over at Naruto and watched as he charged his chakra to an alarming level, which motivated me to do the same, but without the same amount of intensity in power.  
     
We have to get rid of these guys quickly!  
     
As we attracted the attention of the strangers, they seemed like they finally considered us some form of threat (or nuisance). Itachi turned to his brother and snapped his arm, making his brother fall to the ground in pain, and the shark-man raised his sword and cut through the air to no avail.  
     
Or so it seemed.  
     
"Wha-?? What happened to all of my chakra??" Naruto stuttered, voicing the words that had been caught in my throat. He was right; every ounce of chakra that I had been charging for the attack seemed to have disappeared the moment the blue-skinned man had swung his sword. Was that the problem?  
     
"My sword, Samehada," he let out a dark, satisfied chuckle as he swung it over his shoulder, "it eats chakra. Which means that neither of you should pose a problem, eh?"  
     
I grit my teeth together in frustration and balled my fists. "Doesn't stop me from using Taijutsu, asshole!"  
     
His shit-eating grin quickly faded at my remark, and he quickly raised his sword once more, an angry growl rumbling deep in his throat. "Don't test me, brat!"  
     
Cling!  
     
The moment he swung his sword down on me, the sword was deflected by an arm plate of the toad that had poofed to life in front of me.  
     
"I thought this was odd; clearly I'm much better at getting women than they are at getting me."  
     
Everyone quickly turned their heads towards the new arrival, seeing the one and only Toad Sage, Jiraiya. The woman from earlier was unconsciously slumped over his shoulder as he carefully held her in place to prevent her from falling.  
     
"Really, Pervy Sage? All she had to do was breathe in your direction, and you were all over her." Naruto grumbled to the white-haired man.  
     
_"I'd really appreciate it if you'd stop calling me that in front of everyone..."_  
     
"So," Itachi interrupted, his lifeless expression showing nothing towards the older man, "you broke through the Genjutsu that I placed on the woman." It didn't seem like much of a question; rather, it seemed more like a confirmation. "I'd expect no less from one of the legendary Sannin."  
     
"It seemed suspicious, but not too difficult to figure out. I would have shown up sooner, but I wanted to confirm something." He carefully leaned the woman up against the wall for support as he slowly straightened himself out to glare at our attackers. "You're after Naruto, aren't you?"  
     
Sasuke shifted on the ground as he tried to lift himself up off of the floor that he had collapsed on, as Itachi carelessly stepped over him. "These were the orders that were given to us by the Akatsuki."  
     
"Akatsuki?" Jiraiya seemed completely different from earlier; he looked like he actually had an ounce of seriousness left in him. "Guess that means I'll have to finish this quickly then."  
     
Before Jiraiya could even so much as lay a finger on Itachi, Sasuke lurched up and onto his feet. "Don't touch him!" He shouted, "he's mine!"  
     
_"I have no interest in you right now."_  
     
In the blink of an eye, Itachi kicked Sasuke full force in the stomach, making him go flying back into the wall. As soon as his back made contact with the adjacent wall, he slumped to the ground in pain. I could feel the tension in the air as Naruto lunged forward, only for Sasuke to tell him the exact same thing as before.  
     
That was a mistake.  
     
Itachi showed no mercy to the younger Uchiha as he repeatedly slammed Sasuke into the wall. There wasn't much that any of us could do to help him since he didn't want the help anyway, as well as the threat that Itachi posed in general. The fear of stepping in was sure as hell holding me back, but I wasn't all too sure the same could be said for the childish duo near me.  
     
What was I going to do? How could I possibly pose any threat when I was still freezing up? No. I'm a Chunin now. I don't have time to back out anymore!  
     
"Toad Mouth Trap!"  
     
The walls around us transformed in an instant into something that was oddly.................squishy?  
     
It wasn't long until I noticed that my feet were sinking into the new 'carpet' on the floor, but the moment that I tried to pull my foot out, Jiraiya stopped me in the process.   
     
"What is this??" Naruto exclaimed in confusion as he shifted uncomfortably.  
     
"This is the stomach of Iwagawa. The stomach that these two will be digested in."  
     
The two Akatsuki members realized the situation that they had been placed in and made a dash for some form of exit. As if on Jiraiya's command, the walls that they were running through began to close in on them as they ran through the halls.   
     
"Dammit....." I carefully removed my feet from the new 'floor' and chased after Jiraiya and Naruto, both of which were currently running away from me to chase after Itachi and Sharkboy. When my feet had finally been removed from my fleshy prison, I managed to catch up with the two guys at the end of the hallway only to find the belly of the toad engulfed in black flames.  
     
"Are those.......  _black_ flames?" I asked whilst making sure to keep my distance, watching as Naruto looked at it more closely.   
     
"Yes, they are," he started as he took out a special sealing scroll, "and it would probably be for the better if you'd steer clear of it Naruto." The blond quickly jumped back at this as Jiraiya went and sealed the strange fire away. "Alright then. Is everything okay after that fiasco?"  
     
"I'm still breathing," I began, "but I can't really say the same for Sasuke. I think the wall is  _absorbing him._ "  
     
Naruto seemed to be hit with sudden realization as he dashed over to his team member and helped him to escape from the wall. He seemed unresponsive; not once did he say anything or move in any way to show that he was even remotely okay, but as Naruto looked him over it was confirmed that he was indeed still alive.  
     
_Cliiiiiing!_  
     
A kunai got stuck into the wall to my left, which made everyone curiously turn their heads to look at it.  
     
"DYNAMIC ENTRY!"  
     
_Guy-Sensei?_  
  
In the time that it took for me to turn my head to look, his foot had made contact with Jiraiya's face, making him jolt backward.

  
** ** **

     
"Sorry about hitting you head on like that. I forgot to bring my hand mirror with me, so I had to use my forehead protector instead."  
   
_"You........ You didn't do it on purpose?"_

Once Jiraiya confirmed that it was only a mistake that he had been hit straight in the face, Guy-Sensei and Jiraiya began to talk about Sasuke's condition, and how he needed to be treated in a hospital. I couldn't stop myself from looking at the said boy curiously, wondering how he was placed under a Genjutsu so easily.  
     
_I have a Sharingan._  
     
_Could I do that too?_  
     
I stared into his cold blank eyes whilst everyone conversed (probably to save Faith-Sama some time so she doesn't have to write everything in), still lost in thought about the eye that I had implanted within my own head. There's so much about the Sharingan that I still don't know, and it seems that there's so much I can do with it.  
     
_Could I have saved my friends by actually using it?_  
  
I winced internally at the thought, pushing it to the back of my mind as I stood up straight from my crouched position.  
     
_I didn't know any of this at that point in time. There wasn't much I could have done._  
     
"-----Kakashi also has a similar jutsu placed on him. He's bedridden until his senses return back to normal."  
     
"Kakashi-Sensei??" Naruto asked.  
     
"Even Kakashi-Sensei has been placed under something like this??" I blinked up at Guy-Sensei incredulously at his words. He briefly nodded in response to my question and looked back to Jiraiya.  
     
"Regardless, we should get Sasuke hospitalized until he's better."  
     
_Oh boy._  
  
_What a trip._

  
  
  
I'm the worst at descriptions:  


Akane:

Takashi:

  
Tomoko:

Nori:

  
Hana (this is the worst but I TRIED):


	48. Looks Can Be Deceiving

It was quite a boring trip on the way back from the hotel, full of silence as Guy-Sensei carried Sasuke on his back as we made our way back to the village.

"Jiraiya," Guy-Sensei began as we stood outside the village gates, "please bring Tsunade back with you."  
     
"Don't worry about it; we'll bring her back, no problem!" Naruto responded.  
     
I gave my own thumbs up and grin that closely resembled one that Guy-Sensei himself would give. "We'll bring Tsunade-Sama back as soon as possible!"  
     
 _This is so exciting!_  
  
 _I'll finally be able to meet the last legendary Sannin!_  
  
All I could do was watch in pure joy as Guy-Sensei gave Naruto his own spandex jumpsuit before we left, too lost in thought to care too much about the whole thing.  
     
"You better not wear that thing, Naruto," Jiraiya stated simply.  
     
"What's wrong with the jumpsuit?" I asked quietly, looking up to the Sannin. "I wear mine every day!"  
     
Right as I said that, I watched as he curiously looked down to my slightly baggy gray and red shirt with my ninja pants (those are a thing, right?) with disdain, hoping that he had somehow misheard me. "You what?" He watched in silence as I lifted my shirt up slightly to reveal my green jumpsuit underneath. "You...... You have one of those."  
     
"I do. Guy-Sensei gave it to me."  
     
".............congratulations."

  
** ** **

     
It was yet another walk where no one felt the need to say anything. Everyone seemed to be thinking about their own things that they had yet to be shared aloud.  
     
"Why are things so quiet?" Jiraiya questioned as he broke the silence.  
     
"Pervy Sage....? Why were those guys after me?" Naruto responded with his own question. "You know, don't you?"  
     
Jiraiya seemed to be thinking about his next words carefully as his face was no longer holding its goofy expression. "They weren't so much after you as they were for what's  _inside_ you."  
     
"What  _is_ it?"  
     
 _Is he......_  
     
 _Speaking of the Biju?_  
     
I tried to be as discreet as possible as I attempted to look confused and interested all while Jiraiya began to explain the Biju and how he didn't know why the thugs would be after it.  
     
 _Why WOULD they be after Naruto's Biju........?_  
     
"Let's hurry up and find this Tsunade lady! She can fix Sasuke and we can FINALLY start training!"  
     
"The super cool medical Sannin! I'll finally be able to say that I've met all three!"  
     
 _"All three......?"_  
     
"Wait, is Tsunade the babe you meant from before?"  
     
"It's super cool! I can meet all three!"  
     
 _"What have I done?"_

  
** ** **

     
We're looking for the Legendary Sucker.  
     
It seems that every time I get my hopes up about one of the Sannin, they turn out to be worse off.  
     
Orochimaru? An evil shitebag.  
      
Jiraiya? A perverted alcoholic.  
      
Tsunade? A cheating gambler.  
   
My idols growing up, and they all turned out to be phonies. 

Splendid.  
     
The crowded town that we had arrived in was bustling with several hundreds of people, making me practically cling to Naruto's jacket for fear of getting lost.  
     
"I think we'll stay here until the festival is over; we'll begin training after! Alright?" In response to Jiraiya's statement, Naruto reached into his pouch and pulled out his wallet, filled to the brim with cash. "That's quite a bit of money, Naruto!"  
     
"Yup! I've been saving up!" He clutched it happily and turned on his heel, ready to go and leave the two of us behind.  
     
"Hold up!" Jiraiya stepped forward and stopped Naruto in his tracks to get his attention. "I think it's best if I keep those savings for you. You can have  _this_  though." He handed Naruto a small sum of cash and refused to give any more as he pocketed the rest.  
     
"Thirty dollars?? That's it??"  
     
"Hey, now! There's a limit!"  
     
 _If you say so._  
  
I made sure to say nothing about my own wallet that I had brought with me as Jiraiya went over the three no no's of being a shinobi.  
     
Alcohol? I'm WAY too young.  
     
Women? I don't roll that way.  
     
Money? Nah.  
     
After a big waste of time, Naruto and I went around to several vendors on the street as he spent the thirty bucks. There was a point in time when he was getting low on cash and he asked me for a few extra bucks, but he promised to pay me back once he got his wallet.  
     
"Jiraiya gave you his bags, didn't he?" I asked, looking at the bag that was on Naruto's back. "It looks much bigger than our bags; what kind of things do you think are in it?"  
     
"Probably some clothes and stuff."  
     
"Maybe he has some writing things. I've heard he's a popular author. Can't remember where I've seen his books though."  
     
"You think so-----?" As soon as he turned to face me, he somehow managed to trip over his own feet, knocking some of the contents onto the ground with him. He made an attempt to pick up the things, stopping once he got to the last thing.  
     
"What is that?"  
     
"I think...... It's his bank book?" He opened it up and looked at the contents, choking on his own saliva once he saw the numbers inside.  
     
 _IS IT THAT MUCH??_  
  
I snatched the book from his hands and took a peek at it for myself, nearly exploding upon seeing it for myself.  
     
 _WHY ARE THERE SO MANY ZEROS???_  
  
I hadn't even noticed that Naruto had run off and left me, which gave me no choice but to frantically dash after him to prevent myself from getting lost. When I did manage to catch up, I found him using the last bit of the money to buy some grilled squid, but probably for Jiraiya and himself.  
     
Jokes on you.  
     
I don't like squid (I've never had it).  
     
Slipping the book into the side of Jiraiya's bag, I curiously looked at the food in his hands. "What's the food for?"  
     
"For Pervy Sage! To thank him for training me!"  
     
"That's nice!"  
     
We walked down the street and managed to find Jiraiya in no time (more like we heard his goofy laugh), sitting in an unfamiliar building. When Naruto lifted the flap, we were greeted with the popular toad sage with the two women at his sides.  
     
You know what else?  
     
Naruto's  _empty_ wallet.  
     
Just as I suspected would happen.  
     
Watching Naruto yell and Jiraiya get defensive with my own 'I've lost all hope for you' look, I watched as the squid that Naruto had gotten for Jiraiya flew out of his hand, splatting against a stranger's expensive looking coat.  
     
Shit.  
     
"Look at what you've done, brat," one of the bald men questioned loudly. "You've put a stain on his designer suit! You know what that means, right?? You get to pay one hundred thousand dollars!"  
     
?????????????????  
     
"For THAT suit? Looks pretty cheap to me......"  
     
"WHAT DID YOU SAY??"  
     
Jiraiya NO.  
     
You're gonna get us KILLED.  
     
"Naruto, pay attention. This is the jutsu I'll be teaching you." Chakra swirled violently around Jiraiya's hand as he turned his palm towards the jerks, a light blue sphere within his hand now. He hit the man directly in the stomach sending him flying out of the establishment.   
     
"What the fu-----??"  
     
"-----cool!" Naruto unintentionally interrupted me.   
     
"Pervy Sage, you just destroyed someone's stand!" I wasn't sure whether to be amazed or remain in shock as I looked at the destruction before me. "Why would you cause MORE damage??"  
     
He completely ignored my worried complaints as he looked down to the patterned balloon in his hand, and CONTINUED to ignore me as he walked away to confront the men outside.  
     
"That was awesome!" Naruto looked at me happily as he tried his best not to hop up and down. "That's the jutsu he's gonna teach me! Can you believe it??"  
     
I was still looking at Jiraiya in disbelief after what he did to the men, unsure of how to feel about him. Of course, he was powerful; the title of 'Sannin' wasn't an empty one, so it should be no surprise that he was so strong.  
     
The problem was that he was so..............  
     
Stupid.  
     
"C'mon, kiddos. Time for some training!"  
     
Looks CAN be deceiving.

  
** ** **

     
In no time at all, we made it to an empty clearing for Naruto and Jiraiya to begin training in. I sat against the nearest tree, lowkey hoping that I may be able to listen in on his instructions so I might be able to learn a thing or two, but my hopes were slightly shattered when I saw a water balloon.  
     
A water balloon.  
     
What, is he gonna teach Naruto how to juggle?  
     
Apparently, Naruto had felt the same way, leading Jiraiya to pull another water balloon from the large paper bag to hold in his hand for a demonstration. The balloon began to wobble dangerously in his hand as the water swirled within it at dangerous speeds, eventually exploding from the sheer force.  
     
"The tree climbing exercise helped you to maintain your chakra levels whilst the water walking exercise helped you to release a fixed amount of chakra," he pointed to the balloon that Naruto was massaging and squishing in his hands. "The combination of both should help you to burst the balloon."  
     
 _I wanna try the spin._  
     
I eyed the bag of balloons that sat by Naruto's side and quickly attempted to devise a plan to steal one of them for myself.  
     
No such luck.  
     
Maybe I can snag one later.

  
** ** **

     
'Later' came around for the three of us leaving a frustrated and tired Naruto, a relaxed and napping Jiraiya directly at my side, and a focused me who was still trying to pop the balloon.  
     
"Why can't I DO it???"  
     
Naruto's sudden outburst was something that I was used to, but Jiraiya jolting awake made me slam the water balloon down in a frenzy to try and hide it, resulting in it bursting over my lap. With pants that were now wetter than the ocean, I hopped up from the spot that I had made for myself and attempted to dry it in whatever way I could as I drowned out (ha) Jiraiya's speech on chakra rotation.  
     
Wait.  
     
Chakra rotation?  
     
I pursed my lips as I looked back to the bag of balloons, running a damp hand through my hair, partly through frustration.  
     
 _Maybe I've been rotating the wrong way?_  
     
With the way that my hair was styled, my bangs swished to the left side showed me that they would go in a counter-clockwise rotation, which was the complete opposite of what had been happening in my balloon previously.  
     
 _There was no way that it matters._  
     
 _Right?_  
     
"Naruto, this isn't something that you can just learn in a day," Jiraiya began as he indicated the new 'jutsu'. "This jutsu took nearly three years for it to be learned by the Fourth Hokage."  
     
When put in perspective of someone regarded as a genius, it made me think about how difficult it may initially be to learn it. There was no way that this was it; this was a step that would lead up to properly learning it.  
     
 _Could it take us three years?_  
     
Just the idea of devoting three years of my time to a single jutsu seemed unreasonable, thinking of the time that could be spent learning much more in the said time period.  
     
Reality  _sucks._  
     
It was a difficult work in progress which kept Naruto and me outside all night. Jiraiya, who was tired of waiting around, decided to leave the two of us in the field to try and understand what we were doing. I was fully prepared to stay there all night, that is until I heard a loud  _pop!_  
     
Water.  
     
With trembling tired and aching hands I hesitantly looked down to the busted balloon remains that lie on the ground at my feet, gratefully (and with much confusion) taking in the sight before me.   
     
"I...... I did it......!"  
     
Naruto's facial expression started as curious at first but began to change once he noticed my popped balloon.  When he realized that I had indeed spent the day doing the same as him, he instantaneously grew irritated.   
     
 _"Yeah, good for you."_  
      
I was confused, to say the least at his reaction, initially expecting much more of excited congratulations, but instead, he just disregards anything I may have wanted to say and turned back to his balloon.  
     
 _Oh._  
     
"If I can get it, so can you! I believe in you," my encouraging smile was easily ignored as Naruto snapped back at me in frustration.  
     
"Yeah, right! You get the littlest bit of chakra and you think you're the best!"   
     
The kindness quickly faded away at his words, causing my eyes to squint at him accusingly. "Excuse me?"  
     
"How did you even learn this stuff, huh??" His eyes rose from his water balloon to allow him to glare me into discomfort, looking down at the water running off of my hands. "You learned all of this crap before me; the tree climbing and the water walking but no one ever taught you anything! How come you know all of this shit??"  
     
 _"I don't know."_  
     
It wasn't a lie; all of my memories regarding my newly placed chakra were fuzzy and unclear, and the only thing that I could remember was bright yellow snake-like eyes. "I really don't know. I can't remember."  
     
"Tsk," he grumbled underneath his breath as he looked down to his balloon, hoping that what he said would go unheard.  
     
 _"I hate the new Faith."_  
     
It was as if an arrow had lodged itself in my heart at his words as I quickly felt my breath escape my lungs.  
     
It  _hurt._  
     
Why was he acting like this all of a sudden??  
     
 _"Don't worry; so do I,"_ I growled in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've realized that I've been 'following the storyline' with this fic, which seems fine at first, but then I realized that I was doing so excessively, as in not making some of the story my own or adding anything new/different. That's going to change! It may be small changes at first, but gradually it should seem like its own fic! I have, like, 80 OCs and 79 of them are from the Naruto fandom, so I think I'm gonna start using that to my advantage!
> 
> Sorry for rambling! Love you!


	49. Handy Work

I woke up in the corner of the room once light began to slowly creep its way in through the window and more specifically my eyes. The pain in my hands had done enough to make me uncomfortable, but it was as if the exhaustion from the previous activities were begging me to go back to sleep. I was tempted to but eventually decided against it once I picked up on the sound of footsteps creaking on the hard wooden floors. They were too quiet to be those of an adult, so it was safe to assume that they came from my preteen 'friend' on his morning trip to the bathroom.  
     
 _Pretend to be asleep._  
  
When the footsteps got closer to my destination I quickly shut my eyes and made a blank face (unknowingly it had somehow made its way into a scowl) to seem even the least bit convincing, listening as he walked past without a single hello.  
     
It worked.  
     
The moment that the door shut behind him I sat upright from my bedding with haste, ignoring Jiraiya's snores as I grabbed my single bag to take out with me to the bathroom to get changed.   
     
 _Fucking idiots._

  
** ** **

     
By the time that both of them had come outside, I was busy perfecting my technique on popping open the water balloon. I had currently preoccupied myself with an oddly patterned one and almost didn't hear them once they did show up.  
     
There wasn't a significant difference in the new task that Jiraiya had set for Naruto; rather than popping a water-filled balloon he recommended popping an air-filled rubber ball. He didn't stick around much afterward, setting down a much smaller bag of rubber balls and leaving to go and 'collect information'. Naruto objected, of course, attempting to convince him to help stay behind to train him, to which Jiraiya replied that he wanted money in return.  
     
Legendary Sannin my  _ass._  
  
Water splashed on my lap once more as the balloon that had previously rested in the palm of my left hand exploded. I ignored Naruto when he turned to look at me, instead, walking right past him to grab a rubber ball to try on.  
     
"Faith, listen" he gripped his rubber ball tightly in the palm of his hand as he watched me ignore him. "About what I said yesterday-----"  
     
"-----can it. I've heard enough from you."  
     
"Faith, I didn't  _mean_ it!"  
     
" _Really?_ Cause that's not what it seemed like," I snatched a ball from the bag and made my way back towards the tree that I had previously made my own spot. "You act like I asked for any of this; that I wanted to be a ninja with such costs! I mean, yeah, I wanted to be a ninja, but if I could go back to having everything  _without_ being a ninja,  _I would not hesitate._ "  
     
"Costs?" He looked at my headband that covered my eye and raised a brow in confusion. "I mean, you wear a headband over your eye but that's it, right?"  
     
 _"No, Naruto. That's not it."_  
  
Holding out on him was one of the worst feelings in the world, and he was like family to me. No matter how much I wanted to get back at him for what he said to me, it wasn't enough for me to tell him that his second family (MY family) had ended up just like the first.  
     
He looked a little confused when I didn't continue my thought but decided that it would be for the best if he didn't intrude any further, especially with the hole he had dug himself into. "Oh..."  
     
The rest of the time that we had remained there, we were left in an uncomfortable silence that consumed us externally. On the outside, we had completely focused on the task literally in our hands, but on the inside, our minds were constantly running at dangerous rates. There was so much to think about internally, but also so much to focus on externally. Several hours had passed (or so it felt) before anything new had actually happened, but it was anticlimactic as fuck when it did.  
     
"Hey, Naruto," Jiraiya began as he approached the younger boy, "go into town and pick up some lunch." Seeing it as a sort of break, Naruto left with a small sigh of relief, leading Jiraiya to hesitantly move towards me so that I wouldn't be left alone.  
     
"Trying to learn the jutsu?"  
     
His voice was so close to me, much closer than it had been when he was talking to Naruto so it spooked me into tossing my ball up into the air in fright. "No, I wasn't!"   
     
Jiraiya chuckled in response to my flustered reactions as he slowly eased down onto the spot beside me. He watched with amusement as the ball eventually fell and landed on the top of my head, hissing in response. "No offense, but who even are you? I mean," his question was one that could easily catch someone off guard, so he hastily rephrased it. "What I meant to ask for was your name."  
     
"Me? My name is Faith. I've been friends with Naruto since we were kids."  
     
"Ah, that makes sense."  
     
"Yeah," my mind began to wander to the previous events that had been disputed over. "A lot of it is mainly trying to keep him out of trouble, but he wouldn't be Naruto if he didn't cause problems."  
     
"So you two are really close?"  
     
"Of course! He's like a brother to me. He was one of the family to us."  
     
 _"Was?"_  
  
The words had left my mouth far too quickly for me to pay attention to what I had said, but once he pointed it out I tried my absolute best to come up with an excuse. "Did I say was? I meant is." My tone sounded pretty convincing in my opinion, and there was even a chuckle to follow it. I had my eyes closed for the smile, so I didn't quite catch the suspicious look he was giving me. Thankfully, he changed the subject.  
     
"So, I'm not the first Sannin you've met?"  
     
"You're the second."  
     
"And Tsunade is the last?" He continued.  
     
"Yup," my eyes had instinctively lowered down to the ball in my lap, watching it roll as I pushed it back and forth.  
     
 _"You met him first, didn't you?"_  
  
It didn't quite catch me off guard as I had expected it to, but I was incapable of properly forming a sentence in response. Rather, I gave a small nod of confirmation. I thought it over for a moment before muttering out, "he's uh..... he's the reason there's a 'was'......." I made sure to check and see if Naruto was around when I said this, worried that he would overhear. My hand subconsciously moved up to the headband that was currently covering my eye, progressively bringing back bad memories.  
     
"I see."  
     
The two of us didn't say much more after that, as I stared at anything but the sight of the man at my side. It wasn't until I remembered what I had told him that I was hit in the face with realization. "Please don't tell anyone! Especially Naruto!"  
     
"He doesn't  _know?_ "  
     
"Again, he's like my brother!" The desperation in my eyes was nearly overwhelming, but I knew of no other way to get my feelings across. "I don't wanna tell him that!"  
     
He seemed to understand my position when he saw the look in my eye. His own expression was surprisingly kind, but it also happened to be riddled with curiosity. "How..... how long since they've.....?"  
     
"A few months."  
     
"Is that what the headband is for-----?"  
     
I slapped a hand over his mouth at the sight of Naruto approaching us with lunch in his hands. From the look on his face, he seemed a little bothered, but nothing for me to lose my head over.  
     
"Hey, could you...... help me with my training today....?" Naruto's gaze was towards the ground as he directed his question to Jiraiya, shuffling his feet occasionally as he awaits his answer.  
     
"I don't have time for that," Jiraiya rose up from his spot against the tree and offered a hand to help me to my feet, "we'll eat while we walk." When Naruto's expression turned into an upset scowl, Jiraiya felt the need to continue. "Unless you think on your own and find the key on your own, you'll never get it right no matter how long you take," he looked annoyed at the sight of Naruto being upset and laced his arms over his chest. "I thought I told you to stop acting like a baby. You're a ninja!"  
     
I wanted with every fiber of my being to interject and take up for him, but no words felt as if they could escape. It was a harmless request in my opinion, so why couldn't he help a little? The laugh that Naruto gave shortly after seemed almost forced, which was enough to convince Jiraiya but not  _me._  
  
"You don't have to tell me!"

  
** ** **

     
The rubber ball was certainly proving to be more of a challenge than I had originally thought, but it didn't stop either of us from making an effort. The pain in my hands was unbearable, and my last attempt actually made me drop the ball.  
     
I can't  _do_ this!  
     
I took a small glance over to Naruto and watched as he painfully continued on without me. The chakra that I sensed emitting from him was quite dangerous, but I was too fascinated with what was going on to stop him.  
     
It  _popped._  
     
Granted, it didn't fully explode as it was supposed to, but it did deflate, which was better than what I had accomplished.  
     
Why wouldn't mine pop?  
     
Jiraiya appeared once again, moving past me to make his way over to his blond student. He held something in his hand, but I didn't pay much attention to it. "You've improved quite a bit," he looked at the quickly deflating ball in Naruto's hand, attempting to raise his spirits a little.  
     
"I've only made a hole in it! It hasn't exploded yet!"  
     
"Don't be so stubborn; you've done a lot on your own."  
     
I let a soft smile grace my features as Jiraiya revealed a Popsicle, to which Naruto's eyes lit up with joy. Sometimes, Jiraiya proved to be better than what I had originally come to see, and it was nice that the pair was getting along as well.  
     
A sharp pain in my hand jolted me away from Jiraiya drawing on Naruto's palm, sending another wave shortly after the first. I don't know what my body had been doing, but it surely wasn't a good thing. My aching hands appeared to be almost  _singed_ from my work earlier and the burning that I was feeling definitely matched.  
     
Something wasn't right.  
     
"Well, when you looked at it the first time you looked at the paper as a whole, right?"  
     
"I guess."  
     
"But once I drew on it you focused on the center, did you not?"  
     
Naruto nod frantically at what Jiraiya had emphasized, seemingly excited about what he was being told. "Yeah! So what's the hint?!"  
     
 _Is he fucking stupid?_  
  
"Naruto, the dot is to help you focus, idiot," I added shortly after.  
     
"Oh."  
     
I drowned out the bit of Jiraiya going into further detail about concentration as I (much to my hand's regret) reached down for my rubber ball. Searing pain shot through my body like a wildfire but I refused to seem even remotely bothered.  
     
 _ **Weak.**_  
  
A quiet voice rang in my ears, making me look around the area in confusion. It wasn't Naruto or Jiraiya, but it had to be someone nearby. It sounded like it was in my  _ear._ "What?" I asked my question aloud which drew the attention of my childish companions. When they gave me a funny look, I tried to find something to say to justify my actions. "I uh..... What did you say?"  
     
"I........ I said 'keep it up, Naruto'.......?"  
     
"Oh...... Well, sorry," I laughed away my uneasiness and waved him off, "I thought you were talking to me."  
     
"I could not have been more clear."  
     
"Sorry...."  
     
"Well, as much as I'd love to stick around with the both of you, I've got more information to collect," he gave a childish sort of wave, wiggling each of his fingers before turning away. "Toodles!"  
     
"You're not even gonna stay behind and train me??" As soon as Jiraiya had turned his head in curiosity to try and make sense of what Naruto was saying, the blond git threw the ball with as much force as he could muster, trying his best to make the perverted Sage swallow some teeth.  
     
Speaking of teeth...  
     
That's how he  _somehow_ managed to catch the ball.  
     
"STRIKE~!" It came out sort of muffled, most certainly due to the ball jammed between his teeth, but the moment was short-lived as he was hasty to spit it out onto the ground. "Now, if you'll excuse me," he ignored Naruto's rage as he took his leave, but left me no choice but to handle him myself.  
     
 _Thanks a bunch._  
  
I made sure to pick up a rubber ball of my own once I was certain that Jiraiya had gone, cradling it in my hands for a moment before glancing up at Naruto. "I don't get why you still manage to get bothered by the fact that he refuses to train you the proper way. You knew that he wouldn't."   
     
"It's the thought that counts, okay??"  
     
"Hey, I'm not shaming you," my head lifted up to get a proper look at his annoyed expression, "in fact, how about we work together on this one? I'm still angry with you for what you said, but perhaps this can help the both of us."  
     
He hesitated for a moment on that one, his gaze dropping to the rubber sphere in my hands upon making his decision. "Sounds fine to me." 

  
** ** ** 

     
When Ari was starting to get worried over Faith's lack of visits, it seemed to be shortly after beginning to think so that he was soon informed that she wasn't even _in_ the village at the moment. He felt a tad bit comforted upon learning that she was safely under the watchful eye of the Toad Sage, but he still missed being able to carry out a conversation.  
   
Faith going on a journey wasn't the only bit of news that he had received, as he was also told that Kakashi and Sasuke had been affected by none other than Itachi Uchiha's Genjutsu.

 _That doesn't help with remaining calm._  
  
With as much effort that he could muster, Ari tossed a crutch out of his hospital room window (thankfully, he was on the first floor) for support in his plans, a grunt escaping as he eased himself out of the window.  It was harder than he had earlier anticipated, but he knew that there was no one around to aide him in his endeavors.  
     
Pain.  
     
With the crutch tucked carefully beneath his right arm he hobbled down the busy streets of Konoha without a care in the world. The last time that he had snuck out of the hospital was to visit his family's gravestones, and the time before that was simply for his brother's funeral, so he was a  _little_ rusty when it came to walking with confidence. He continued to sway his way down the road with the assistance of his crutch, and before he knew it he was already standing at the entrance to the burial site. Guilt cloud his gaze as his eyes trailed over the names of those who had fallen, his mind drifting to places that  no longer existed, times that he had previously spent with his loved ones or those that he had held dear to him were taking over his thoughts bit by bit, and soon his eyes were downcast to the ground beneath his trembling feet.  
     
 _"If only there was a way to bring you back."_  
  
When his eyes landed on the name of his elder brother he was unsure of how to feel. Each of the deaths that his loved ones had gone through had manipulated Ari into believing that  _he_ was the cause behind them. Orochimaru may have manipulated Kyo into joining his cause, but the thought of Kyo dying by Ari's hand pushed away all thoughts of the snake-like man.  
     
 _Orochimaru._  
  
Ari was no doubt familiar with the Edotensei jutsu that Orochimaru had undoubtedly used against the Third Hokage himself, and with the level of despair that Ari was feeling, he actually considered the possibility of  _using such a technique._  
  
 _No! What am I thinking??_  
  
He mentally slapped himself once he was aware of the situation taking place inside his head and physically shook his head shamefully. To think that he would actually consider using a jutsu so vile only made him more grief-stricken.  
     
In a flash, Ari's head snapped up from its downcast position, his eyes immediately flying to the entrance of the burial grounds. This one wasn't in his head, and neither was the young boy whose cold blue eyes pierced him like a sharp dagger.  
     
 ** _"You. You killed him."_**


	50. Searching

Do you ever look back at your mistakes?  
     
I currently am.  
     
There was an incessant  _burning_ pain in my hand, setting me ablaze in every other aspect. My body was worn out and tired, but my pride refused to simply allow me to lay my head back and sleep. Copious amounts of deflated rubber balls were scattered across the ground near Naruto's visibly shaking body, unable to fully explode from the lack of proper concentration.   
     
Why does this  _hurt_ so much?  
     
"When we were in the academy," Naruto lazily turned his head to face my direction as opposed to actually sitting up, "did you ever listen to Iruka-Sensei?"  
     
"What do you mean?"  
     
"I mean," he impatiently exhaled whatever breath that he had gathered while he watched the breeze move through the trees, "you didn't join the academy with us until later on in the year, so I dunno what you've learned. Were you there when Iruka-Sensei went over proper concentration of chakra?"  
     
"No, I don't think I was... Wait. Nevermind; yeah, I remember that. You were sent out of class because you wouldn't pay attention."  
     
"Yup..... That's the one....." A leaf from the tree was snagged off from a rather powerful gust of wind, shortly landing perfectly on the tip of Naruto's nose. The leaf was timed  _just right_ ironically, as he pictured being scolded by Iruka with a leaf on his forehead.  
     
"Now that I think about it, you never paid attention, did you?"  
     
"I  _did._ Just not  _all the time._ " He ground his teeth together as he struggled to rise, a grunt soon following once pressure was placed on his feet. He seemed to be fiddling with the palm of his hand as he spoke, still managing to carry on a full conversation. "I regret it though; I should have paid more attention to Iruka-Sensei."  
     
"What brings this about? The whole sentimental thing, I mean."   
     
"I don't know about you," he began, grabbing ahold of his ball and tossing it up once to firmly catch it, "but I'm gonna make this ball explode, right here, right now!"  
     
"Nardo, that's a bit of a bold statement, don't you think?" I lift my head from the ground with reluctance to get a glimpse of his actions, making up some bullshit 'you can't do it' statement in my head as I looked. "Remember how hard we've tried-----?"  
     
A powerful gust of wind shut me up real quick, leading me to raise my arms up in sudden defense. The shock of the strong breeze gave me the motivation I needed to sit up straight, mainly just to see what all of the commotion was about.   
     
 _What the shit??_  
     
The ground itself had caved in from the force of the blast; you could see the line of rubble leading up to the overachieving blond as he sprawled on the ground in front of Jiraiya a good distance away. Even Jiraiya looked the slightest bit pleased with Naruto's work, which was a feat I never thought I would see.  
     
"Can we move onto the third stage?" Naruto was already up and about, ready to continue with the training as if none of the events from earlier had even taken place. He looked up to Jiraiya expectantly with large pleading blue orbs as he awaits an answer.   
     
"We can leave that for later," Jiraiya was quick to focus back on the original task (surprisingly), as he tried to remember where he had placed the balloons from before. "We're going to meet with Tsunade now."  
     
As much as my body hated the idea of any form of movement, I leaped to my feet as pure excitement pulsed through my veins. With the way that the two Sannin that I had already met were, there was no way that she could be any worse, right? As for now, exploding the rubber ball had been pushed to the back of my mind; the only thing I was focused on was meeting the medic of the Sannin.

  
** ** **

     
"You. You killed him."  
     
The voice rang through Ari's ears as he caught a good look at the one who it originated from. The boy that he had previously been familiar with now seemed more disheveled; his clothes were tattered as if he had been into more fights than Ari was previously aware of, his hair was unkempt and greasy as if he hadn't showered once in the last month, and cuts and bruises littered his visible skin.   
     
"K-Kenji! You're back!" It took a great amount of effort for Ari to simply turn with the help of a single crutch, but once he did it gave him the full picture of what he was dealing with.  
     
"Don't joke with me, old man," his icy blue gaze sharpened as he looked at the injured man from head to toe. "I'm not here to waste time."  
     
"What are you here for exactly?"  
     
Kenji gave no form of response to Ari's question, ignoring it entirely for the most part. He merely stared into the Jonin's eyes without rest, weighing his options for what to do next. With the way he acted, Ari felt the need to prepare for the worst, realizing that if a fight were to happen (God forbid), he wasn't exactly  _ready_ for it.  
     
"Kenji," the words were mindlessly tumbling from his mouth at this point, a feeble attempt to keep the kid's act in check, "if you need any help or anything, I'm always here for you." Every bad thing that he  _knew_ Kenji had done was racing through his head a mile a minute,  but in the heat of the moment, each of his crimes had been forgotten.  
     
"Bullshit!" Kenji's sudden outburst startled the older man at first but soon realized that he shouldn't have expected a different outcome. "The only one who was there for me is dead, all because of you!" A kunai whizzed past Ari at the speed of  _light,_ nearly hitting its mark, instead lodging itself into a distant oak. The few strands of hair that were free from the hair tie swayed violently at the action, and a few strands fluttered to the ground, apparently  _cut off_ by the hastily tossed blade.  
     
 _"You killed him. Now I'm going to kill you."_

  
** ** **

     
"Alright! Let's go!"  
     
"Damn, don't go jumping around screaming like a kid."  
     
 _Did the two of them switch roles?_  
     
For once, Naruto seemed to be annoyed by the smallest of inconveniences while Jiraiya was giddy at just the mere thought of adventure.   
     
"You're in a bad mood," Jiraiya pointed out.   
     
"We're in the middle of training!" It irked Naruto to think that he wasn't able to solely focus on his training, especially with what he had previously heard about the 'Legendary Sucker' beforehand. "You said that there are three steps, right? We're only on the second!"  
     
"We can do the third step while walking."  
     
"Really?"  
     
It was Jiraiya's turn to feel a tad bit irritated, but he did well not to show it as he revealed another aforementioned balloon. Rather than being filled with water, this time it was filled with none other than the Toad Sage's own breath. "The first step was to spin, the second was power, but the third step...." He trailed off as he held up the air-filled balloon to show off..... nothing.   
     
"I don't get it."  
     
"It doesn't seem like much is happening, does it?" He looked down to his seemingly unbothered palm to get a glimpse himself before raising the opposing hand. "Let me show you on my  _other hand._ " A ball of chakra formed into the empty palm of his hand rotating itself into a more defined sphere.   
     
"Use what you've learned from the previous two and charge it," he nods his head to the rapidly rotating blue sphere in his palm, "max out the spin and the power but make a wall within the balloon and concentrate your power."  
     
"I GET IT! TRY NOT TO POP THE BALLOON!" Naruto was ecstatic as his sudden realization before quickly being shot down to a more confused state. "So, why do we have to do that?"  
     
"This is why," the ball of chakra was long gone by this point, but was soon replaced by a weaker looking 'tornado'. "This right here was what you had in part two," He rammed his fist into the trunk of a nearby tree, causing a large spiral to imprint into the bark. "And this is what you will learn in part three," the spiraling vortex became more uniform into the aforementioned sphere shape. He repeats the action of attacking the poor tree, but this time left a large crater behind in his wake.  
     
What the SHIT.  
     
Eager to try it for himself, Naruto hastily grasped his balloon and stared it down with determined concentration to try and keep the power contained within. Ultimately, as expected, the balloon popped and explode in his face.   
     
That's  _really_ difficult.  
     
How am I supposed to  _do_ that?  
     
I can't even get past the second trial!  
     
"Alright, that's over, we can practice while we walk."  
     
"Why hurry? We need to prac-----!"  
     
"-----We wasted time waiting for you to heal," Jiraiya glanced over his shoulder to look back at his younger male companion. "There's no guarantee that Tsunade will stay in the city longer either."  
     
What??  
     
No!  
     
We HAVE to meet her!  
     
"Then let's GO!" I frantically shoved Naruto towards Jiraiya, eager to meet the final Sannin as quick as possible.


	51. Gambling

"There are a lot of cool places in the area, is there not?" I used my hand to shield my eyes from the sun as I looked around the area to take in the sights, averting my gaze when Naruto was blown back by another balloon attempt. "A few of them are famous too!"  
     
"Yeah, but something feels off," Jiraiya took a quick look around the area upon making his decision. "I think we're gonna have to ask around."  
     
"Well, you're in charge. Lead the way."

  
** ** **

     
"You killed him. Now I'm going to kill you."  
     
"Kenji," the second kunai that was thrown shortly after the first had managed to come into contact, making Ari instinctively grab his suddenly bleeding cheek. "I'm in no mood to fight you."  
     
"No, you're in no  _condition_ to fight me," his ice blue eyes glint with mischief, "which makes it all the more easier on my part, don't you think?"  
     
The lump in Ari's throat only seemed to grow larger by the minute, his crutch seeming to provide no support for his growing anxiety. "Kenji, think about what you're doing; you're already classified as a criminal."  
     
"Exactly," he cackled harshly, his eyes closing from the pure amusement he couldn't hide, "if I'm already classified a criminal, then how can it get any worse?"  
     
 _He's got a point._  
 _  
_ "You don't need to find out," Ari stabilized his breathing to give him more of a confident tone, which he didn't think he needed against someone much smaller than himself. "Just chill out and think this over for a minute."   
     
 _"Fuck you,"_ a third blade was clutched in his pale hand, prepped and ready to strike.  _"You deserve this."_

  
** ** **

     
Letting Jiraiya lead the way felt like both a blessing and a curse. Ostensibly it was right to search in places known for gambling, as Tsunade was an  _avid_ fan of such activities. Although the places were filled with several shady and desperate people, the idea of easy money was surprisingly appealing.  
     
Upon entering the new gambling den Jiraiya split off from Naruto and I to initiate his interrogation phase. He flashed the same image around the crowd in hopes of finding his medical team member, so far having no such luck.  
     
"Hey, kid, do you want to give it a try?" He indicated his cup and dice sprawled on the floor before him to Naruto, who quickly told him off because he was far too busy training. In less than a minute, he had, unfortunately, locked eyes with me rather than my blond counterpart. He was quick to ask me about it, though I doubt that it was worth the effort.  
     
"You want me, a ten-year-old, to test my luck at gambling?"  
     
"Anyone can gamble," he sent a wink my way, which immediately sent the wrong vibes trembling and shivering down my spine, "we don't discriminate."  
     
"At this point, I wish you would."  
     
Oddly enough, the idea of being able to acquire money by my own means was entrancing in and of itself. I accept it shortly after he had apologized for being the source of my discomfort, and was promptly taught the rules of the game. The game seemed simple enough; decide upon Han or Cho and test your luck.  
     
Sounds easy, I suppose.  
     
The man placed the cup on top of the dice and shook it, ensuring that the dice had moved at least a little. He stopped shortly after and cast me a mischievous glance. "Cho or Han?"  
     
"Well," it took a bit of thought from me, but I came to a decision quicker when I thought about my age, "how about Cho?"  
     
The answer was shroud in mystery and the anticipation was growing high. The man before me was sure to drag it out as long as possible to hype things up, yet his face could only drop at the sight of the dice.  
     
Cho.  
     
My heart leaped at the idea of me winning, especially in something with gambling. I happily thanked the man when he handed me the cash and quickly made a mad dash for Naruto.  
     
"Nardo, guess what I just got-----!"  
     
A strong force of wind nearly knocked me back, and it was soon revealed that Naruto's failure of containing the chakra within the balloon was the reason why.  
     
"So close," he muttered.  
     
Quickly pocketing my money before it was snatched from my hands was deemed the best idea, since Naruto's training tended to be a bit unpredictable. Thankfully Jiraiya came over before he could try again, saying that there was another gambling place for us to check.  
     
"She doesn't stay in one place for long, does she?" I asked.  
     
"No," Jiraiya let out a sigh and slumped his shoulders, letting his arms dangle as he walked. "She moves from place to place; she loses so often that she can't risk staying around."  
     
The walk was silent after that other than the occasional burst from Naruto's balloon. The boredom was enough to make me take out my rubber ball, bouncing it as I walked down the path in an uncomfortable and empty silence.  
     
 _Where_ _is_ _she_ _?_  
  
Thankfully the transition didn't last too long, giving us something to actually focus on rather than being left to meander within our own thoughts. When we first arrived, Jiraiya instantly went off to question people in the area, and Naruto left to investigate a certain machine for gambling. He insert a small coin, and much to my dismay, he received an influx of cash to which he proudly showed off in his toad coin purse.  
     
"Faith, look," Naruto failed to contain his excitement when he showed off the money, "Gama-Chan is ready to burst!"  
     
"Just make sure you don't let Jiraiya get his hands on this one, okay?" I inquired.  
     
"I'm not making that mistake again!" He replied.  
     
Jiraiya eventually located the two of us after he had gotten all of the answers that he could, ready to take us to another location. He looked down at the two of us with a determined glint in his eye. "Alright, you two. We're off to the castle to look for Tsunade!"  
     
"Sure thing!"  
     
"Let's go!"

  
~

     
"THIS WAY!" Jiraiya directed the group towards the popular castle in the area, hyping us up for the trip ahead. The boys were in oddly chipper moods, and it was pleasing to know that they weren't arguing for the time being.  
     
"Isn't this castle famous and all?" I had to take quick steps to match Jiraiya's long strides, eager to see the building in person. "It's been around for a while, hasn't it?"  
     
"That's right," he pointed a finger off into the distance as he looked down at me. "The castle is pretty old; it's even older than me!"  
     
"Knowing you, Pervy Sage, that's pretty old," Jiraiya's head snapped back at Naruto's comment, his face shifting quickly to an annoyed expression.  
     
"I am  _not_ old!" Jiraiya argued back.  
     
"Uh, guys?" The two paused their bickering long enough to curiously listen in, unaware of their current surroundings. It didn't take them  _too_ long to focus, and soon we were greeted with a brand-new problem.  
     
 _"_ _Where's_ _the_ _castle_ _?"_


	52. New Information

Ari knew better than to engage in a fight with a  _child,_  but Kenji was giving him every reason to attack. Self-defense was a plausible excuse, but one could argue that he shouldn't have left his cozy hospital room in the first place if he wished to avoid the ordeal entirely.

Kenji seemed to be prepared for anything that may happen in what was inescapable to come as thoughts raced through his head. There were many outcomes that could arise from this encounter, and he was determined not to miss a single one. He subconsciously thought back to the gleaming kunai that hid beneath the cover of his leg pouch whilst cautiously questioning if he would need  _another_ one.

No.

The only indication of movement was the rustling of leaves that crinkled beneath Kenji's feet, which were now fluttering weightlessly in the wind. Ari's keen senses were enough, and he defensively prepped for the attack.

_Clack!_

Ari had allowed himself to fall back, quickly catching himself with the rim of a tombstone so he could stop Kenji's leg from hitting him  _with his crutch._ The end of the crutch was shoved harshly into the center of Kenji's chest to hold him back, making Kenji's leg drop uselessly to the ground as he grunted from the force.

"You're being unfair; you're trying to fight a guy who can't even properly stand on his own," Kenji looked as if he were ready to double over from the pain of being jabbed with the crutch, though he surprisingly remained standing from the pure willpower. "I can't even stand without something to really hold me up; how shitty is that?"

The boy stumbled back a bit whilst holding his chest where he had been assaulted, giving the older man a look that most would fear.

"Don't make me do something I'll regret," Ari continued to lean against his brother's tombstone with his crutch dangerously pointing to Kenji just in case he tried to pull something. "I've had that happen too often; I don't want it to happen again."

"What, like when you murdered your brother?"

"Don't get into the territory if you don't know the land, boy."

"You think I'm going to listen to someone like you?" If it were even possible, Kenji's ice blue eyes seemed to get colder by the second, more intense the longer he stared. "You don't deserve to be the one who prevailed! Kyo-Sensei is better than you in every  _fucking_ way and you  _killed him!_ "

**"You think I don't** **_know_ ** **that?"**

Ari forced Kenji away by shoving him back with his crutch, which gave him the opportunity to move back into his original stance. "I know what I've done, but that doesn't give you the right to shit on me for it." He slowly hobbled past Kenji to make his way towards the exit of the burial site, a displeased scowl replacing his usual kind demeanor.

"If you're planning on killing me, you better do it now," he risked a look back at the boy who insisted on taking him down over his shoulder, his kind blue eyes now replaced with his deep red ones which were filled to the brim with anger. "But I won't hesitate to kick your ass into the ground and send you to prison."

A moment of silence briefly hung about as Ari waited for some form of response. Kenji was visibly seething himself, unable to get his thoughts to form a reasonable idea. He held his chest from the previous assaults with the crutch, and his anger only further clouded his judgment.

_"You'll be six feet under before I make it anywhere near a prison."_

There was nothing Ari could do but nod his head to show that he had heard him in an 'okay, sure' way. The silence made a reappearance and nearly suffocated the two ninjas who seemed to have halted all of their movement. A pin could drop from a mile away, yet the two ninjas would be prepared to catch it the moment it had fallen.

With no warning, Ari swung around with his crutch as Kenji lunged for him once more, knocking him aside. Kenji caught himself in the mess of grass that riddled the earthy floor to steady himself for another shot. The young boy gave no time for a break as he repeatedly went to assault his Sensei's brother, showing him no mercy for all of the wrongs he believed him to be guilty of. The crutch that Ari had brought with him proved to be his greatest ally, using it as his own weapon and the graves around him for support.

Kenji's last attempt resulted in him skidding back across the ground in a crouched position, with his hand on the ground to support him as he glared at his superior.

The breath from Ari's lungs felt forcefully robbed from him which gave him no other choice but to pant heavily like a dog. His shoulders were sagging from the weight that he felt was placed on him. Blood red eyes furiously met icy cold blue ones, signaling a war that would last between the two of them until the grave.

"Kenji!"

A new voice revealed itself from the entrance of the cemetery which sent shivers of confusion down the aforementioned boys' spines. It was a voice that wasn't common in the leaf anymore, but it was one that Ari knew all too well.

"You're with the Akatsuki??"

Ari's shocked red eyes met the nonchalant red eyes of Itachi Uchiha; the man that Ari was forced to treat as the enemy despite years of camaraderie and mentorship the two had shared.

"Of course I am," a mischievous smirk made its way to Kenji's lips as he whispered under his breath so the Uchiha didn't overhear. "You know what else?"

"What now-----?"

"We've got the only remaining member of your team in our clutches."

"You're bluffing," his heart almost stopped when he first heard the confession but refused to fall for the trap when he put two and two together. "She's with the Toad Sage."

"Was," a low chuckle rumbled deep in his chest at the thought of her trapped and struggling for freedom. "Heh; they had to come back to drop off the raven-haired emo, did they not? Who's to say you didn't see a clone?"

Now that he thought about it, he never did get to see her before she set off with the Toad Sage for the second time, which only set his mind to a state of panic with his thoughts rapidly racing to find that calming common sense at equilibrium. He couldn't possibly have been tracking her movements all this time, but then again, how would he have known the location of the hyperactive demon fox Jinchuriki?

"Kenji-----"

"-----I'm  _coming._ " He sent Ari a  _wink_ as he turned to leave with his new Akatsuki 'friends'. "Maybe next time, right?"

Ari's blood red eyes were currently filled to the brim with undeniable confusion as he tried to catch up on whatever the hell was going on in front of him. His red eyes drift from the small boy that was moving to the adults to the Uchiha he was moving towards. Their eyes met for the second time since he had arrived; Itachi's eyes were challenging him to move forward and attack, but Ari knew better than to start something with the same man who brought Kakashi Hatake himself to his knees.

"It's been a while, Ari," Itachi murmured.

"Likewise, Itachi," Ari replied. He casually straightened out from his hunched stature and readjusted the crutch underneath his right arm.

"I think it's best for you if you avoid another fight," Itachi's words and eyes looked as if they were sending two completely different messages; his words gave the impression that he wanted nothing but peace at the moment, made evident from the stress lines underneath his eyes, but the sharpness of his red orbs made him feel that he was prepared to dive in for the kill at any moment. "We'll just take the kid and go." Kenji and Kisame took that as an indication that they could leave, trodding off into the brush to head back to God only knows where. Itachi was hesitant to follow directly behind them, still looking at Ari and debating what he should  _do_ with him.

"I'm already hospitalized, Itachi; cut me some slack."

Slowly, but surely, Itachi eventually trod off after the two before him, refusing to look back at the tired man behind him who was most certainly relieved that he had avoided a bullet to the brain.

Ari sighed in a mixture of relief and exhaustion once he was sure they had gone from the area. He stood in well-deserved silence, looking back down to the tombstones of those he once held near and dear to his heart. Feeling more guilt pulse through his veins, he glanced up to the beautiful blue sky overhead with worry clear as the day across his face.

_"I'm getting too old for this."_

  
** ** **

  
"What  _happened_ here?"

The question that Naruto posed was one that I most certainly wanted an answer to, but was unsure of how to go about acting upon it once  _told._

"Hey, you over there!" Jiraiya raised his voice to alert an anxious passerby; one who just so happened to be running  _away_ from the wreckage. "What the hell happened over here?"

_"You guys should run away too! There's a demon beast up there!"_

Demon beast?

"A demon beast?" Jiraiya curiously asked, "what is it?"

"A hu-huge snake! Toppled a building instantly!"

The mention of a huge snake had my mind instinctively jumping to the idea that Orochimaru was involved, which was a completely reasonable assumption based off his previous assault to the village prior to the 'trip'.

"How big was it?" Naruto seemed almost infuriated, yet held a certain excitement in his eyes. "I know of a snake beast!"

Jiraiya was quick to reply, "this is the same snake from before, Naruto."

It seemed that Jiraiya and I had initially thought the same thing, immediately pointing fingers to Orochimaru at the mention of a snake. There couldn't be any more incidents that a huge snake appeared and Orochimaru didn't, right? Exactly. Thanks to this new information given to us, we quickened our pace to the rubble of the castle that stood no more.

_Did the snake do all of this?_

The castle had been  _pulverized;_ the entire area was covered in chunks of concrete and wood, most certainly from the building that was victim to a giant snake assault.

"No doubt about it;  _he_ has to be behind this," Jiraiya protested as he scanned the area. "We have to continue searching. Let's go."

With the idea of Orochimaru loose fresh in our minds, neither of us felt the need to object.

** ** **

Ari carefully hoisted himself into his hospital room window after quietly leaning his crutch against the wall. Things were suspiciously quiet when he closed the window once safely inside, but it was all short-lived once the door nearly broke free of its hinges.

The nurse who had been assigned to him was frantic; her expression mirrored her erratic movements, but her heart nearly froze when she noticed Ari had returned. Guy was apparently close behind her and her scared rampage, as he soon poked his head around the doorway to spot his purple-haired friend.

"Listen; I know you're mad, but I've got more important things to deal with!" Looks of bewilderment were expected from the two as he addressed them in such a manner, but he was worried about all of the new information he had just gathered. "Guy, you were there when Faith left, right?"

"The second time, yes," He hadn't caught on to what Ari was proposing, so all he could do was wait for the answer to his obvious question. "Why?"

_"Are you sure it wasn't Kenji?"_

That wasn't the sort of 'answer' he had expected to get. Initially, he thought he'd get an 'I was just worried about her' or 'I'm her Sensei and I was just curious' but what he received instead was a question about the Tatsuo boy who was now classified a criminal? "Kenji? Kenji Tatsuo? Why would-----?"

"-----Do you think it could have been or not?"

"I..... I'm not sure!" He tried refreshing his memory to get a clearer picture of what had happened, but nothing seemed to appear. "It seemed like Faith!"

Ari pulled at his sweaty and matted hair in frustration to not knowing the truth. "You know what? He could have been the one to lead the Akatsuki to Naruto!"

"Why would Kenji-----?"

"He's Akatsuki now!" A brief silence was had before Ari hastily continued, "I just ran into him at the burial site, and Itachi Uchiha was one of the people to pick him up!

"He could have a clone or even the real thing out there with Naruto and the Toad Sage, and we don't know!" He wished to devise a plan to check and see, but he needed support from someone else to help guide him. "We can either go out there and seem suspicious, or we can wait until they get back and find out."

"How do you know that it wasn't something said to get under your skin?"

"I don't want to take that risk!" His heart was rapidly thumping in his chest; thankfully he wasn't attached to a monitor or he might have to be sedated from the pure speed at which his heart was beating. "Are you with me or not??"

There was a hint of hesitation that shadowed Guy's coal black eyes but it didn't take long for the jumpsuit-clad man to come to an agreement.

"I'm in."


	53. The Final Sannin

"How about we eat dinner here tonight?"

_"Jiraiya, this is a pub."_

My protests were about as effective as an earthquake to a Pidgey as he continued to lift the flap, indicating that we were going inside whether I liked it or not. "It's a good place for information, okay?"

Less than three steps into the establishment were all I needed to be convinced that I should stay. The alcohol and annoyingly loud chit-chat weren't cutting it for me, but the sight of the  _one woman_ we had been searching for was enough to make me spit out my excited, overreacting heart. 

"What are you doing here?"

Tsunade was sitting at one of the booths (drinking, no less) in all of her glory. She had a woman who was anxiously sitting at her side, glancing over at the medic occasionally.

"We've been looking for you," Jiraiya replied.

We found a way for the three of us to fit inside the seat that was empty, putting Jiraiya on the inside, the hungry blond git in the middle, and me hanging slightly off the outside. To shut Naruto up, Jiraiya was sure to purchase some food for him to stuff his face with, hopefully, to keep him from running his mouth and causing a scene.

"This is probably going to sound like an odd request, but," I reached into my pouch to grab a fresh kunai, holding it up to her, "can you sign my kunai, please?"

She snuck a glance at Jiraiya thinking that this was some sort of joke, but when he didn't bat an eye she knew that it was anything but. She hesitantly signed it to meet my happy request but was quick to ignore me afterward. "I met with someone who brings back bad memories."

"Orochimaru?" Jiraiya guessed.

It was revolting to hear his name aloud again.

"Did anything happen?"

The woman to Tsunade's right turned almost immediately to look at Tsunade for an answer. She seemed worried about what would be said, and almost spoke up, until Tsunade sent a harsh glare to silence her.

"Nothing really," she remarked, "just shared a greeting."

I really didn't believe her after she shared this; Orochimaru didn't really appeal to me as the 'chatting' type, so it wasn't very convincing for her to say so. There was obviously more to the picture than what had been painted, but I wasn't too nosy to stick my nose in where it didn't belong.

"Why were you looking for me anyway?"

A large slurp emanated from Naruto as he ate his fish, sending shivers of cringe down my spine. When he wasn't sloppily eating, I could hear Jiraiya say, "to be completely honest, the village has issued a request for you to be the fifth Hokage."

_WHAT??_

Tsunade had the same idea as soon as she was able to process what he said through her brain. Naruto looked like he was ready to barf, which seemed like a pretty accurate description of what was going through my head.

_THE HOKAGE??_

"The Third is........... incapable now," Jiraiya peeked at me through his peripheral vision; he spent his fair share of time in the village before we had left, so he certainly knew that I was involved. "Thankfully he isn't gone."

"I've heard," Tsunade mumbled, "Orochimaru told me."

"The snake man?? He's the one who did it??" Naruto looked ready to leap out of his seat at the mention of the vile Orochimaru. "Who the hell IS he???"

"He was a Sannin, just like the two of us," Jiraiya answered.

"But aren't you guys from the leaf?? WHY??"

 _"Some people just want to watch the world burn,"_ it felt to be the right time to add my two cents in the conversation, keeping my head low as I looked over the kunai.  _"Origin doesn't matter to people like that."_ Everyone took the time to consider the truth in my words, which in some instilled more questions than answers.

"Jiraiya, who are these kids?"

"Well, we have Naruto Uzumaki and..."

"Faith," I added.

"Right," Jiraiya didn't seem too concerned with introductions at the moment; he was trying to get an answer from his busty, old friend that he had finally managed to find in an average pub. He ignored the bothered expression on Naruto's face as he asked his question; it was an important question that needed a professional response. "What's your answer?"

The moment of truth was finally upon us as we all turned our attention to the woman in question. She had a lazy exterior but her inner thoughts could be thinking the exact opposite; none of us knew what was going through her head which only built up the silence.

"I decline."

She WHAT?

The shock was evident on my face from how careless she had sounded once responding; she didn't seem to consider the idea that the village no longer had a Hokage that was fit for the position, and that it would be a great  _honor_ to have such a high and mighty position. Now that we had a definite  _no_ from the Sannin medic, it made me come to the realization that we didn't entirely have someone else to fill the position. Thankfully, her becoming Hokage wasn't our only request. 

"What about helping to cure Kakashi-Sensei and Sasuke? Or Ari-Sensei?" I asked after giving it plenty of thought.

"Isn't that what we were supposed to be here for?? Instead, you ask her to be Hokage and she saYS NO??" Naruto was in his own frenzy at the question, furious with Jiraiya for not being told sooner.

I grew suspicious of seeing the woman with Tsunade cautiously looking to her every time some response seemed out of place from any of us. The only way she would look away and 'relax' was if she was glared at like a child who wasn't behaving at the dinner table.

_And what was this about Orochimaru?_

_What actually happened there? She has to have had more than an average chat. Unless he somehow found Jesus since the time that we last met, I wasn't going to drop my guard against them._

"-----but even he died quickly," Tsunade was in the middle of speaking when I began to pay attention again, comparing Naruto to the Fourth Hokage himself. "He gave up his life for the village."

Sounds like a pretty noble thing, the Hokage was willing to die for the sake of the people in the village.

"Life is different from money," the assistant shared yet  _another_ glance with Tsunade as she spoke, every word spilling from her mouth seemingly fueling her concern. "It can't be  _risked_ or  _gambled_ that easily. Whoever puts it at risk so easily is a  _fool._ "

_A fool?_

"My grandfather and the Second Hokage both focused on the village peace more than anything else, but as a result, they just died in the middle of their dreams like the losers."

"Like the  _losers?_ "

The 'founding fathers' of Konoha were imprinted in my mind as nothing less than the heroes they deserved to be, so hearing her diminish the leaders that the villagers have come to love and respect was something that I couldn't get behind.

"It's the same for Sarutobi-San. No wonder he needs a replacement now; he was too foolish to live in his dreams," she was carelessly spewing words at this point, ignoring the reactions of those around her. "Being Hokage is shit; no one but a fool would do it!"

Naruto was on the surface of the table quicker than fire spreads over gasoline, and the only thing that stopped him from clawing her eyes out was Jiraiya's quick reflexes as he grabbed him by the rim of his bright orange jacket.

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as the blood coursing through my veins ran cold. How could she say such things about the Hokage like that? Especially about those she's directly related to?

"We're lucky he's not dead," I growled.

Tsunade's nonchalant gaze shifted from Naruto to me, piercing me with her eyes in a disgusted way. "And we can thank  _you_ for that, no? Is that what you want?  _Thank you for saving another hopeless cause-----_ "

"Don't  _speak_ of him in that way."

I wasn't even aware that I had stood from my seat until I realized Jiraiya was silently urging me to sit out of the corner of my eye. I wasn't the only one who disagreed with her words, soon made evident by my hyperactive friend.

"I don't care if she's a woman! I'm gonna kick her ass!"

Jiraiya was internally conflicted as he went to reach across the table to yank me down but gave up the moment he saw Tsunade rise from the booth. 

Tsunade grew cocky the moment we had shown any sign of disagreement, or hostility in Naruto's case. "You kids have guts. How about we take this outside?"

"There's no need to turn this into a fight, miss," this was the exact opposite of everything that I had wanted to happen with the Legendary Sannin; I had expected her to be better than the previous two, but she turned out to be just as bad as the rest.

"Why not? Are you  _scared?_ "

"No; I'm using my head," I looked her over, head to toe, before meeting her eyes again. "Are you?"

It felt like a race to get out of the booth for the hotheaded ninjas, which left the three of us (Jiraiya, surprisingly, Tsunade's assistant, and I) more levelheaded of the group to stumble out of their way.

The dark-haired woman didn't seem like very much to me at a first glance, but I came to respect her once I noticed how Tsunade acted. She seemed constantly anxious when in the Sannin's presence, and for a good reason. I was amazed that she was willingly putting up with Tsunade's shit.

"Is she always like this?" It wasn't directed to either one of the ninjas who stood at my sides, but thankfully I noticed the woman shaking her head no over the sight of Tsunade diving for Naruto quicker than the eye could follow.

"You know, Jiraiya," I could feel his eyes on the back of my head as I spoke, though I was too busy watching with doubtful eyes at Naruto's attempt at using the Rasengan. "I'm not sure if any of you 'Sannin' is as great as the legends have foretold. An alcoholic, a pervert, and a pedophile; that's what the Sannin are. I dunno why I got my hopes up......."

"Hey now; I'm not goin' around performing experiments on kids."

"No, you take their money to whore yourself out." He knew I was right in that regard, referring back to when he took the money from his  _pupil_ to go and blow it all on drinks and attractive women.

"Jiraiya, did you teach this knucklehead the Rasengan?" Tsunade didn't even acknowledge the fact that Naruto was forced to draw himself from a large crevice in the ground, focusing on her former peer who held a sour expression.

"He's my pupil; it seems only fair that I do so."

"That's stupid; teaching him something of this caliber," she placed a hand on her hip as she shifted all of her weight to one leg to give her a sort of lazy stance. "You're training him to get his hopes up."

"HEY!" Naruto was quick to get defensive the moment he was brought into the conversation. "GIVE ME THREE DAYS; I'LL HAVE IT FULLY MASTERED BY THEN!"

"Don't chicken out and not keep your word."

"I won't!"

"Actually, how about this," Tsunade stuck up a single finger, wiggling it so he would focus his attention on that digit. "I'll give you one full week. And on top of that, I'll throw in my necklace." She held up the necklace that was previously trapped in her cleavage to show off what she was talking about. It didn't look very special, but I guess it meant more to ger than I would ever understand.

"But, Tsunade!" The assistant exclaimed.

"I don't want it," Naruto seemed uninterested when it came to the piece of jewelry, but was thankful for the increased time.

"Don't say that Naruto," Jiraiya was surprisingly quick to defend the necklace, looking for a good reason for Naruto to keep it or show its value. "That necklace belonged to her grandfather, the First Hokage!"

With the way she had previously treated the Hokage, I wasn't really surprised to hear that she wanted to rid herself of the necklace. It seemed like something she would/should keep, so why was she so ready to give it away?

I didn't even care when everyone started to walk away from me; my feet had minds of their own as they began to follow Tsunade's assistant and Naruto, probably to find a place for us to lay our heads for the night.

And with all the thoughts racing through my mind, I needed it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm in the mood for some ANGST. HAVE FUN WITH THE NEXT CHAPTER?


	54. Misunderstood

_"What do you_ mean  _you aren't coming home?"_

_"Just as I said, mother."_

Memories of the events that had happened shortly after the deaths of his teammates were resurfacing back into Kenji's mind. His mother's piercing green gaze met with his own; her pale cheeks reddened as she fired herself up.  _"I have more important things to concern myself with."_

_Chihiro's (Kenji's mother) jet black hair swayed in its low ponytail as she shook her head in disbelief._ **_"More important than your own damn family?"_ **

_"Far more."_

"Kenji, are you paying attention?" The deep voice of his current  _leader_ was now directing his soulless voice to the edgy teen in question. "That'll be  _your_ job."

"My job?"

"Yes; getting your hands on the boy is of utmost importance."

"The boy."

"The Demon Fox."

Once he nodded in confirmation that he understood his given task, the whole of the Akatsuki was dismissed to do their own things. The connection broke down and each of the ninjas was placed back into their bodies, picking back up where they had left off. Kenji was currently in the middle of a completely deserted forest on a high branch of a tree, which gave him a good view of the area as a whole. He looked at the swaying tree leaves in the canopy, spotting a mother bird leave behind her baby chicks to search for a food source.

_"You're what?"_

_"I'm leaving for a while."_

_Keita, Kenji's father, was looking to his son and his vast number of bags that took up his room with disdain, trying to figure out why his son had suddenly decided to leave. "And what did your mother say?"_

_"What do you think she said?"_

_"The same thing that I think."_

_Kenji continued to toss his things into his bags, packing extra clothes and trinkets he suspected that he would need._

_"Kenji put your things back; you aren't leaving." Keita's ice blue eyes bore into the back of Kenji's skull, daring him to disobey his orders. The shadows cast by his neat, dark brown hair gave him an almost menacing look, which was ignored by his youngest son entirely._

_"Kenji, stop."_

_Nothing._

_"Kenji Tatsuo, leave your-----!_

_"-----PISS OFF!" Kenji was visibly angered by the repeated request, watching his father's eyes widening into surprise before mimicking his own._

_"I don't know what your issue is, but you better fix it soon."_

_"Or what?" Kenji challenged._

**_"Don't test me, boy."_ **

_Tired of his father's antics, he hastily zipped up his most recently worked on bag as he slung it over his shoulder ready to place it in his closet for later. "Go kiss Ani's ass and leave me alone."_

_Kenji knew he had succeeded when he heard his bedroom door slam behind him, followed by the angry thuds from Keita's footsteps._

_Fuck you too, dad._

A strong gust of wind sent shivers down his spine; instinct told him to shrivel up into a ball with something to keep him warm, but his mind was reminded of the task he had been given.

**_"You're just going to leave without saying goodbye?"_ **

_Kenji's bags were slung over his shoulder, some being carried in his hands. He was fully prepared to walk out of the door, that is until Ani himself got in the way of his 'happiness.' He was the only one who hadn't given away his fucks for Kenji, just as the both of his parents obviously did._

_"What's it matter to you?" Kenji shot back._

_"I'm your older brother," his signature smile was back; that smile where his eyes held their own sadness or concern while his lips were lifted slightly in that 'caring' unturned curve. He looked so sad, yet kind all in one person. "You matter to me."_

_Ani's words sent a pang of hesitation through his cold, dead heart. He had always shared the 'love-hate relationship' with his sibling; his brother was the only one who hasn't shit on him for the bad things he's done, yet he never seems to have time to do anything with him because of his work, while also juggling the title of 'favorite child'._

_"Do you expect me to believe your lies?"_

_That smile is still prominent._

_"I thought you would say that....." Ani's eyes trailed down to the bags filled with Kenji's belongings and such, refusing to meet his cold eyes at the moment._

_"Is that all you have to say?"_

_"No, there's plenty I wish to say," a faint chuckle resonated in Kenji's ears from Ani's barely parted lips. "But I don't want to waste your time." He slowly trod forward sending Kenji the wrong vibes; he wasn't in the mood for a fight at this time of night yet with the way his brother was advancing he wasn't sure he had a choice. He slowly reached into his back pocket which made Kenji yearn for some form of weapon to defend himself, only to find out that he was given a small scroll._

_"Please, for what it's worth," his deep blue eyes were pooling with concern; the kind of concern one can only receive from a sibling. "Take care of yourself."_

_The scroll was surprisingly light in his hands, but he knew that it had to be something important as it_ was  _coming from his brother._

**_"You'll always be my little brother."_ **

If it wasn't for the scratch that was freshly planted from a stray branch to the cheek he would have crashed into the next tree head-on full force. Though it was bleeding (barely) it was enough to make him realize where he was at the moment, which wasn't very far from the Uzumaki and his current companions.

_"A Tatsuo, hmmm?" Orochimaru's smooth voice drawled, "you could be useful to me."_

Kenji hopped through the trees, uneasy from the sound of Orochimaru's voice in his head.

_"I always need more spies."_

_"I'm doing this for Kyo-Sensei," Kenji cut off._

_"Oh?" Orochimaru's face was clearly mimicking that of mock surprise. "How sweet."_

 Kenji sat on the edge of a stable branch; the only visible light source was provided by the town beneath him, where the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki moved towards what he assumed to be a hotel.

_"The ones who start off driven are the most amusing," he was only teasing him now, showing no sympathy for Kenji's former cell leader; the man he trusted with his life._

He had moved stealthily to the rooftops, hopping along them to keep his target within his sights.

_"You're just another one of my pawns; you know this, right?"_

Patiently waiting against an adjacent roof, he crouched to stay low and remain unseen. No one had noticed his presence thus far; the trio moved into their resting place with no clue of his arrival.

_"Don't worry," Kenji monotonously spoke, "I'm used to it."_

  
  
  
  
  
  
Chihiro:

Keita:

Ani:

 


	55. Welcome Back

"...............i-San, are you awake?"

"Hello?"

"Are you okay?"

_"_ _Ari-San_ _!"_

Ari jumped out of his skin at the sudden outburst. He was calmly lost in thought as he rested by the window pane, his book neatly tucked underneath the extra blanket he moved over with him.

"Oh, Ani; I didn't..... expect you to be here.....?"

Kenji's older brother had apparently decided to show up, ironically interrupting Ari from his thoughts about Kenji. "I heard from Guy-San about what happened, but he told me very obscurely." The lamp's beam reflected off of his glasses, masking his eyes from the purple-haired man. "You..... You saw my brother.....?"

"I more fought him than I did see, but yes."

_"_ _He's_ _with_ _them_ _now_ _,_ _isn't_ _he_ _?"_

Ari knew  _exactly_ what he meant by his question, but he wasn't sure he was ready to rip off the band-aid just yet. Ari was fully prepared to ignore that the question was even asked until Ani shifted and Ari fully caught a glimpse of the expectant blue eyes.

"Unfortunately."

"I see."

Ani's features were quickly overtaken with sorrow, his gaze lowering to the small discolored spot on the bottom portion of the wall in front of him. Silence consumed the both of them like a broken record, allowing the two to bask in the stillness.

 _"_ _Maybe_ _it's_ _my_ _fault_ _,"_ Ani choked out, barely above a whisper. He slid his glasses down the bridge of his nose allowing his hair to fall into place, raising the end of his shirt to wipe them though hesitating before carrying out the cleaning.

"Why would it be your fault, Ani?"

"I didn't....." His voice was quick to falter from the words getting caught in his throat. A pause was needed for him to get a grip on his emotions so that he could finish what he had started. "I didn't try to stop him." He was fully distraught on the inside, yet his exterior masked whatever he may have been feeling. "Maybe if I had tried harder....."

Ari understood just what the younger man was feeling, the similarities striking close to home for him when thinking of his older brother, Kyo. "Sometimes there's nothing you can do to change a sibling's mind."

"Perhaps you're right," Ani nodded his head in agreement, deciding against speaking of the situation the purple-headed Jonin was thinking of. His fascination with the discoloration of the wall had rapidly dissipated as his eyes trailed to the scenery through the window aforementioned.

"He looked okay," Ari mindlessly shared as he readjusted his chin in the palm of his hand. He knew it was a lie to say something about Kenji like this, especially since he looked as if he hadn't taken care of himself in months. It was a lie, yet he knew that Ani needed comfort now, not the truth.

Emptiness filled the room as the two men silently watched life unfold from behind the glass. The occasional pedestrian would cross by, sometimes with another at their side, gibberish pooling from their mouths due to the distance.

"Mom and dad......... The two don't seem to care anymore, Ari."

 _"I didn't expect them to,"_ he shared so distastefully, growing sour at the mention of the Tatsuo parents. He held a certain aversion to them; Chihiro and Keita were known to be uncaring when it came to others, even to their youngest son. The only one they had ever given their time to was Ani, and even he disagreed with the treatment being administered. Ari wanted to find something to change the topic fast, getting an idea from a passing family. "I heard you helped to return the Fujii family from the safehouse."

"Umm, what?"

"The Fujii family," Ari raised his head from his palm to stare over at him, blinking a few times at Ani's so-called 'ignorance' of the topic. "ANBU were sent to escort them, right?"

"You....... You haven't heard?"

"Heard what?"

"Ari-San, I'm no longer ANBU."

"What happened?"

"I just..... wanted to focus on my studies," Ani trailed off.

Ari knew better than that; Ani was clearly lying in this regard as Ari knew that he was one to devote all of his time to something he cared for, and judging from the fact that he rarely ever went home, he didn't just quit because of 'studies'. "What  _really_ happened?"

Ani took a silent, large intake of breath at the question, releasing a steady sigh as he realized he wouldn't be getting out of this one. "The ANBU have been warned of my brother. I didn't wish to be involved."

"I see......."

"Do you think they'll kill him?"

"I'm the wrong person to ask that," Ari shift beneath his blanket, his book sliding down his leg and dropping to the floor at his feet. Before he could lean forward to retrieve it, Ani beat him to it and handed it to him, only after hesitating at the book title. "ANBU ninjas tend to be ruthless, so I suppose it depends on who it is." He cracked open his book to where he had last left off as Ani seemed prepared to continue going about his daily business.

"I hope things go well for you, Ani."

"I wish the same for you."

** ** **

I had decided against sharing a room tonight, instead, I used my earnings from gambling earlier to purchase myself a cheap room. Thankfully it wasn't too far from Naruto's room so I had a way to monitor his actions.

As soon as my tired feet dragged me into my room I shrugged my bags from my slumped shoulders and onto the floor, dropped my pouch of weapons, and was fully prepared to close my eyes and drift into a well-deserved slumber. Without wishing to change into something else, I lifted the blankets to allow myself to be sucked into the black void of sleep.....

_Clash!_

My senses were fully alert to the sound of the window to my room shattering, shards of glass clattering to the floor at my feet.

**_"It's been a while, Faith."_ **

The voice was one that I had wished not to hear for as long as I was expected to live, and it took everything within me to simply turn on my heel and face him without my eyes widened in surprise.

Kenji.

"Yo'," it came out more relaxed than I expected it to, which I was nothing less than thankful for. "Yeah, long time no see." One quick glance told me everything I needed to know about his current living conditions. His jet-black hair was glistening in the moonlight from lack of a proper wash, his clothes were torn from what I would assume to be some fights I didn't know the details of, and I  _could have sworn that I could see the visible stink fumes radiating from him._

"When was the last time you showered?"

The question probably wasn't the best one to ask considering that I was in no position to put him in a bad mood when I wasn't completely ready to fight. His eyes narrowed dangerously which was close to triggering my 'fight or flight' response, which I found surprisingly effective in standing against my enemy.

"Where's the boy?"

I shrugged lightly; if Naruto wasn't in his room, he could be anywhere that had a big enough area for him to train and practice the Rasengan. "I dunno; I'm not his guardian."

"No matter," his eyes trailed from the tallest hair on my head to the lowest point on my foot. "Would you prefer I take you instead?"

"Take me?" I asked curiously. "Take me  _where_?"

 _"No matter,"_ he slid a piece of glass out of his way, watching it glide underneath the bedside table before smacking against the wall. "What I need right now is you."

"Kenji, you sound like a pervert."

"You think I would waste my time with a girl like you? Don't get ahead of yourself."

"T'was a  _joke._ "

I quickly extended my arm to snatch my pouch of weapons from the floor to use to provide some sense of security in the predicament presented before me. It would have gone well had Kenji not stepped forward to stop me from 'fulfilling my dreams'.

_"Where is the boy?"_

"That's none of your concern."

"I won't hesitate to kill you; you know this, right?"

_"Just as I wouldn't hesitate to put you and the man whose ass I presume you now kiss six feet below."_

Kenji's lips upturned into an amused smirk at that statement, subconsciously placing his hands into the pockets of his black vest-like jacket. "I'm older than you."

"That didn't stop me from kicking your ass before, did it?"

Insulting his performance during the Chunin Exams was enough to get him visibly fuming. The hatred for me was burning brightly in his icy blue orbs as he was quick to whip out a shiny steel kunai which was, at the moment, pointed directly at my throat. His eyes narrowed dangerously in a way that he knew would keep me from getting free without putting up a fight. "Lead me to him, or I'll get him myself."

"Good luck."

A swift duck allowed me to make a swipe for Kenji's legs with one of my own, though he was quick to leap over it as if he predicted that it would happen. My hands were quick to dart out to hold me up as I shifted all of my weight into my arms, which gave me the opportunity to twirl around to administer a flurry of kicks to try and throw him off. Though my blows were being delivered in a quick fashion, Kenji was quick to hop back to quickly avoid whatever was sent his way.

"I don't have time for this," his gaze focused harshly down on me as I steadied myself on the floor in a slightly crouched position, looking to my enemy with bated breath.

That feeling.....

_It's back._

That feeling in my head where my brain feels completely ready to burst; a headache becoming almost unbearable, making me wish for the sweet release of death.

He's doing  _that_ bullshit again.

My head was pounding from the current mental assault, so it came as no surprise when I wasn't prepared to brace myself for the kick that sent my face into the side of my hotel bed. The force of the hit was enough to make my nose, which had harshly hit the frame of the bed, bleed at a surprising rate.

Without caring if I bled to death or not Kenji stepped over me and over towards the door, ignoring whatever attempts I may have had to stop him. He opened the door with a soft creak which aided in bringing me back to my senses.

"Not on my watch."

The headband over my eye had become loosened when my face was slammed into the bedside against my will, but the covering of my closed eye was the least of my worries. Protecting my blond git of a friend was my top priority; secrecy was something I deemed to be less important in a time where Kenji was the one I was dealing with, simply due to his ties with the man who had turned me into this abomination.

Upon noticing that my forehead protector was gradually sliding down my face, the curiosity that Kenji held was made evident by his expression. The throbbing pain ringing loud in my brain only seemed to get worse with each passing second that I spent in Kenji's presence, and now it seemed that all of the searing was being channeled into the right side of my head.

_I know what he's up to._

"You looklike a Kakashi reject," he scoffed at the sight, clearly amused by my weakened state. "What's under that headband of yours?"

It was unclear to me whether or not my eye was tearing up or spilling blood from the mental  _rape_ that I was currently dealing with, but it was crystal clear that I was losing the eyesight in my blue orb. I could feel Kenji's eyes degrading me for my appearance before him, his gaze boring deep into my mind to  _hopefully_ extinguish the small flame of life I held desperately in my cold dead palms.

The faint squeak of the door snapped me back to reality, sending a reflexive "GET BACK HERE!" to fumble from my mouth.

I wasn't sure if the pain being magnified was the most terrifying or the fact that Kenji had  _giggled_ in response.

"Orochimaru-Sama expects a lot from me; I'm not going to let him down like  _you_ have." His pale hand reached out for the bedroom door to close behind him once he was gone.

"Oh!" His free hand reached up to run across the area below his right eye, indicating the spot he was referring to. "You have a little something red on your face." With a small wink, he reached over and pulled the door to a close, leaving me to rot in silence.

"KENJI!" I leaped to my feet, staggering every step that it took to reach the door to my room to swing it open. Kenji wasn't in my immediate field of view when the door was opened quicker than I could slip into a comfortable unconscious state, but from what my eye would allow me to see, a flash of black and red stood in the hallway to my left. He didn't notice that I had chased after him (somehow?), which gave me a clear shot to knock him over the head by throwing a nearby decorative vase in the hall. Plucking the flowers and dumping the potting soil to make it lighter was easier said than done, but it didn't matter in the long run since my aim was off and it zoomed past his head.

I felt like I was trapped in an Assassin's Creed game with the way he had reacted to the vase, and I swear I could see a question mark thought bubble pop up above his head and a faint 'must have been my imagination'. Though he was in a very playful mood he wasn't as brain dead as I thought he would be, as he did turn to look at me knowing just what I had done.

"Oh, it's you," he glanced back at the shattered vase as if he just realized what it was intended for. "Hi."

Who  _broke him?_

I didn't think I'd ever miss the  _normal Kenji._

"I'm busy and to be fair, you look like you need a nap."

I was late in understanding what he had meant when he had spoken, but once I became aware of the increase in mental pain from my head being squeezed like a lemon for its juice, there was nothing that I could do to fight back. My legs collapsed beneath my weight, and soon my face greeted the floor like an old friend. I wasn't exactly unconscious, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to open my eyes.

"Well, I didn't mean on the floor," the faint shuffling of feet began to retreat farther down the hall until it seemed nothing more than a figment of my imagination. "That's okay, I guess."

_And then everything went_ _**black.** _


	56. I Once Was Blind; Now I See

When I next opened my eyes it felt like only a few seconds had passed, and the stillness of the room wasn't exactly helping me to remember what had previously taken place. My bloodied eye scanned the hall to find clues to remind me of the previous events that I couldn't seem to remember, but the only thing I could see was a broken vase on the floor a few feet away.

_The vase I had tossed._

Memories of Kenji flood back to me all at once, and it finally registered that he was after my friend. I reached down to pick up my discarded headband to rush down the hall and search for my attacker, but......

_Is my headband gone?_

I was worried about my headband, but the thought was easily pushed aside so I could focus on the wellbeing of Naruto. I whisked myself down the hallway towards his room that he was staying in and didn't hesitate to swing the door open to check and see if he was there.

"NARUTO!"

The door flew open at blinding speed to reveal the person located behind it. It wasn't the person I was looking for, but it WAS someone I could ask and see if his whereabouts were known.

Tsunade's assistant stood in the center of the room with a troubled look, absentmindedly looking through the window at her side. When she saw that the door was tossed aside with reckless haste, she focused her full attention on the blood drying on my face.

"Where is Naruto??"

"What do you mean?" She looked at me with a mix of concern and confusion, "he just left with you......?"

I didn't get to hear her finish that train of thought due to my dashing away to try and find where they could be. With the way she had sounded, it made me feel that they had to be nearby, but the problem was that I had no clue as to which direction they took. What if I made a wrong turn? It was bad enough that my 'good eye' was close to failing me at any given point in time, which resulted in my vision being blurred and me bumping into various walls and decor.

I didn't have a choice. 

I hesitantly opened my eye after checking for any unfamiliar blurs in the hall, looking for any sign of my 'oh so valuable' friend. I began searching for his specific chakra signature since I didn't know Kenji's, and thankfully my risk paid off when I spot their chakras down on the streets below, still right in front of the hotel.

If I'm quick, I can make it without needing the eye anymore.

Spotting a nearby window, I did the best I could to raise it high enough for me to squeeze through, only for me to hop out and land not so gracefully on the ground below. Because I wasn't able to really distinguish where the ground was, I didn't fully brace myself for the landing and ultimately stumbled face-first into the side of a garbage can.  Thankfully, nothing was critically damaged when my nose hit the solid metal, and I was able to continue on my way to rescue my friend from the clutches of my newly sworn enemy. 

I began to sneak after them as to not alarm either of the two from what Kenji had planned just in case he decided to pull a fast one and attack before I was ready to interfere. It was a little unsettling to see Kenji dressed up and acting like me, but it was equally bad that Naruto was just eating it up.

"Trust me, Naruto, I wanna help you with the new jutsu!"

"You aren't even past the second stage though."

"That doesn't mean that I can't help," if Kenji was improvising, he was doing a damn good job at it as he responded without seeming a little off.

"Right."

"Hey!" I jumped, or more like  _tumbled,_ from the shadows behind them to reveal the  _real_ me that had previously lurked behind them.

"Faith??"

There were more emotions conveyed in that split second than there has ever been on Kenji's face in his whole life. While Naruto was representing the confused and questioning, and I represent the smug and slightly confident side, Kenji was stoic until Naruto looked at him for answers, to which he quickly matched the surprised and confused look.

"Don't trust him; that's Kenji in disguise!" Kenji had the nerve to point his, no, MY finger at me accusingly to try and say that  _I_ was the imposter and  _he_ was, well, me.

"No,  _that's_ Kenji!" I shot back.

"WHICH ONE IS KENJI??????" Naruto frantically looked between the two of us nervously, knowing that his choice would lead to life or death. When he saw the two of us point at each other, he pulled at his hair in frustration. "THIS ISN'T HELPING ANYTHING!"

"Remember when you came over to my house for dinner but you didn't tell my mother you had come in so she dumped a pot of water on you by accident?" I asked, knowing that I could show Kenji up and prove I was the real  _me._

"No."

_ARE YOU SERIOUS??_

"I CALLED YOU POTHEAD FOR TWO MONTHS STRAIGHT; HOW DO YOU NOT REMEMBER??"

"It's not comin' to me....."

Kenji took this opportunity to think something up that he's witnessed to convince him to go with him. "What about the time you flipped the swing over the tree branch because you wanted to fly?"

"Oh," this occurrence was much more recent, so it came as no surprise to me, only fear consumed me now when he nod his head to say yes. "Oh yeah, I do remember that!"

I had a shameful look of defeat as I was warily looked over. "I...."

The two turned their backs on me, ready to leave me with a final warning.

"I'm giving you one chance," Kenji muttered through my pale lips. "Don't follow us."

"I won't hold back if you do!" Naruto exclaimed, not even turning to look me in the eye as he said so as he began to stroll off with Kenji.

I felt an immense sense of panic as they began to fade into unfamiliar blurs thanks to my hindered eyesight. Without giving it any sort of thought the words tumbled from my mouth in an attempt to save my friend, knowing that I couldn't do so physically.

"Y-You were insecure!"

The padding footsteps came to an end the moment my outburst was recognized by my blond peer. He didn't respond to what I had shouted, which urged me to keep going.

"Naruto, I was in a coma, remember? And before that, you thought I was dead!" Memories of the mission to escort Tazuna rose back to the surface of our minds, reminding us of  _all_ of the ups and downs that had happened while we were away. "You were worried that I had died without my only friend. As soon as I woke up you apologized with that shockingly out of place somber expression."

I could only assume that he had fully turned around as I looked at the skin-toned blob of his head.

"Or.... Or when you came over to my house and cried because you wished you had parents that loved you," I had allowed myself to tear up, but only because I wasn't able to see if what I was saying mattered or had any effect. "And as soon as you said it, I slapped you because you're like my big brother and my family is your family-----"

"-----I remember!" His eyes flashed over to what he now recognized as Kenji beside him, his eyes expressing the anger he was holding in him for allowing himself to be tricked. The transformation jutsu Kenji had to disguise himself soon dissipated, showing the ratty boy we have all come to know (and perhaps love?). Without giving it a second bit of thought, Naruto drew his fist back as far as it could, taking Kenji by surprise with a full-power punch to the gut.

_Poof!_

Kenji was quickly replaced with a nearby trash bag thanks to substitution jutsu, leaving the bag to go flying back into a wall where it belongs. 

"Where did he go?" Naruto was fired up and ready to go, looking for the fight he needed to satisfy his dangerous ways.

"Doesn't matter; let's get back to our rooms."

My adrenaline was quickly dissolving and leaving me to yearn for the earth's cool embrace, but thankfully I had Naruto at my side to save me from falling to the ground.

"You're bleeding...!"

"I'll be fine."

"You sure?"

"Positive," I scratched at some of the blood that caked my cheek, feeling some of the semi-dried blood that had yet to settle. "You'll just have to lead me back so I can wash this."

With the way he was already holding me up, he knew that he couldn't refuse, especially since I couldn't walk on my own and my vision was already shit. "No problem."

The entire walk back was Naruto talking about all that he could have and should have done to Kenji once he had noticed who he was, and in demonstrating a move he let go of me suddenly to show me his uppercut and I smacked face-first into a street sign.

When I was dropped off to my hotel room, Naruto was sure to inform me that he would stop by his room and head for a place to practice the Rasengan, giving me his plans so I would know where he was if something else happened.

I was grateful to be in silence once again as I sulked to the bathroom over the shards of broken glass that I knew I would have to pay for in the morning, simply to rid myself of the blood. It took a few minutes of furious scrubbing to remove it from my cheek, and a bit of balance that I didn't expect myself to have to wash out the blood in my eye socket. It throbbed painfully beforehand, and intentionally fucking with it only magnified the feeling. With all of the blood being rinsed away, I was surprised that the sink wasn't stained a permanent pale red color.

_Knock knock!_

With my eye currently closed for business in the detection department, my ears had been tasked to make up for what I couldn't see by listening attentively for any sign of movement from the bedroom. On the plus side, the glass was still on the floor outside the bathroom door so I was sure to hear if that got crunched.

As soon as the knock resonated with my eardrums I was quick to grab a small towel to dry my face off with, frantic to see who had shown up. Although Kenji had just made an appearance, I wouldn't doubt him to show up once more to spite me. When I opened the door, my towel scrunched in my hand and ready to throw, I saw none other than the same woman who stuck with Tsunade (for some reason).

"Well, umm," I didn't even remember inviting her in, and I forcefully bite my tongue to prevent myself from saying anything. "Come in?"

"Sorry to intrude; your friend told me was worried about your bleeding."

"Good on him........?"

"I'm also a medic, so I thought I could help," when she saw that I was little hesitant to allow her to assist me, she carefully extended her hand and invited me to shake. "I'm Shizune by the way."

"Faith..... as I'm sure you've heard," her grip on my hand was soft and gentle compared to the firm and rough one I had, for some odd reason, expected to get from her small, pale and delicate hands."Go for it if you want, but you aren't obligated to."

The both of us pushed the bags on the floor out of the way for the two of us to comfortably make our way to the bed to sit as she healed me. Her hands had begun to glow with the vibrant green chakra engulfing her hands, and I finally was able to slouch and embrace the blissful silence.

Until I had a question, that is.

"Is Tsunade always so, what's the word, violent?"

Shizune didn't falter as she worked on healing the wound, quick with her response to defend the medical Sannin. "Not all the time."

"Ah....." It's as if I could internally feel the wound; if it could be called that, healing at a rapid pace and helping me to mentally relax. "Thank you for this."

"It's nothing," my eyes were closed as she spoke so I didn't see her look to my right eye as she asked: "Do you need me to heal the right one?"

_Oh no._

_I forgot._

_My headband is missing._

"That DICKWAD STOLE IT!" Shizune visibly jumped the moment I had raised my voice, clearly startled by my displeased outburst. "I knew I was forgetting something important!"

"Umm, is everything okay?"

"Don't worry about it; I'll just cry myself to sleep."

"That's not healthy...."

"Neither is kissing Tsunade's ass, but you do that just fine." I was a little harsh since I had become aware of my missing headband. I let out a well-deserved sigh in hopes of providing some relief and worked up the courage to be a bigger person. "Sorry, just.... don't ask."

"If you say so," she responded quietly.

The soft green glow from her hands began to fade as she finished up her work, and her eyes trailed to some of the cuts I wasn't even aware that I had. She was quick to get to work on them, but I could feel her gaze trail from the cuts to the eye that I refused to open.

"You know, he's the one behind this."

"Who?"

"The same man Tsunade keeps avoiding in conversations," Shizune faltered in her actions, her hand slightly flinching at the mention of the vile snake man. It was clear that Orochimaru made her uncomfortable as well but now felt like a good time to get things out of the way. "Something is up; I'm not that stupid."

"We just.... had a chat," she sounded as if she were trying to convince herself more than she was trying to convince me. A silence of uncertainty followed, and her eyes refused to meet my own.

 _"Whatever you're planning with him better be cut off,"_ I hit a nerve, as made obvious by the way she seemed to shrivel beneath my glaring eye. "I don't care about titles anymore;  _I'll kill you if you help him."_

I could see shivers tingle down her spine, though I'm sure it wasn't for fear of what I may do. She seemed like a capable woman who could protect herself, especially from a small Chunin such as myself, but she seemed shaken at the thought of actually helping Orochimaru carry out his deeds.

"Yes, I understand completely."

"Just making sure....."


	57. Change of Character

When I woke up on the annoyingly firm mattress, I was greeted with two thoughts.

1\. I actually slept through the night and didn't get murdered. 

Or 

2\. The afterlife isn't as grand as I had hoped.

I drowsily slid over the side of the bed and placed my pale white feet onto the soft, somehow stale carpet that I swear I heard the crunch as pressure was added to it. My eye had refused to focus in on the room around me, so I was hazy when it came to finding my belongings and prepping myself for the day ahead.

I found my bag after I tripped over it, which I gladly took and placed on the bed to search through it to find a temporary replacement to cover my eye. I came across a change of clothes in the bag, and some writing utensils I wasn't aware that I had packed. At the bottom of the pack, there was a small medkit that I had neatly packed before embarking on the journey, and beneath that was a cloth I had hoped not to see.

The bandage.

From that dreadful day.

As much as I had wished and yearned to discard it into the trash where it belongs, it was the only thing I had on me to use as a replacement for my leaf headband. I tossed it farther onto the bed as I placed the things I didn't need back into my bag, but keeping the change of clothes out for me to swap out for my current attire.

_Knock knock!_

Not wishing for another person to barge into my room, I zipped up my bag and placed it on the floor beside the bed. Before I could reach the door, it creaked open ever so slightly, as if the person behind it were checking that nothing was being bothered or interrupted, and then stepped into the room fully to reveal themselves. 

Jiraiya.

"Is Naruto in here?" He asked, spotting me at the bedside.

"No," I cocked an eyebrow at his request, subconsciously looking around the room for the boy in question. "Why would he be?"

"Just curious," his eyes trailed from the bag placed on my bed to the small fragment of glass I had yet to clean up but decided against asking questions about it. "I guess that means he stayed out training all night."

"What did you expect? This is Naruto."

"Yeah, you're right." Jiraiya watched as I carefully placed my belongings back on the floor beside my bed, deciding against saying something about the lack of necessities I had brought along for the trip. He saw that I had 'forgotten' to pack up a pink, tainted bandage with the rest of my items, and was capable of putting two and two together to figure out what it was for.

"Where's your headband?"

He caught me off guard by asking about it, but when I remembered all that I had shared with him not too long ago, it made sense on how quick he was to decipher the need for a ratty old bandage.

"I don't wanna talk about it," I muttered.

"C'mon," he had that signature goofy grin on his face as he chuckled lightly, making the situation feel a tad more lighthearted. "You can trust me."

"Oh really?" I fired at him.

"You can trust me with  _this,"_ he attempted to defend himself.

"Why  _should_ I trust you?"

Jiraiya was quick to go silent at the mention of trust, and his body soon halted all movement. His eyes were focused on me, rather intently, though I knew he wasn't looking at me; he was deep in thought about someone or something and his serious exterior spooked me into remaining still.

"You remind me of a kid," he looked strained as he struggled to get a grasp on the memory he was referring to, his normally playful expression easily replaced with a stern grimace, "more than you think; you two look very similar."

"I don't get it."

"She was tiny; pale and thin, sickly looking overall." It became clearer the more he thought about it, beginning to remember the scene as if it had happened only but a few moments before entering my room. "She almost died, but I was there at just the right time."

His serious look had me frozen on the spot, and it wasn't until I blinked that I had realized how much of my body had stopped. It was unlike him to become genuinely concerned or grave about something, especially on the spot when it didn't affect the rest of the world and the fate of life as we know it. "Jiraiya, you're getting severe and I don't like it."

_"She almost drowned after a fall from the Madara statue."_

Something sparked in my memory at the mention of the familiar landmark, which was quick to snatch my attention and aid me in caring more for what he had to say. "A fall from where?"

"A fall from the Madara statue. You know how there are huge statues of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju separated by a waterfall? She fell from the Madara one."

_"What did she look like?"_

Jiraiya was a little curious as to why her looks were of my concern, and though he cocked a brow he didn't confront it. "I didn't really pay that much attention, but she had dark hair and really pale skin."

"How long ago was this?"

"You're asking a lot of questions-----"

_"-----how long ago?"_

"Sometime around September."

Certain flashbacks began to hit me like a bus the more he revealed to me, the bits and pieces forming together to make the scene become more clear.

"That...... That was me!"

_"You're joking."_

"No; that was......!" The memory became clearer the more that I thought about it; the scene of the statue head getting farther away from me the more I fell became almost as clear as the water I smacked into at full speed and nearly drowned in. "Jiraiya, that's when I had run away from Orochimaru! Jiraiya, you  _saved me!"_

His gaze instinctively drifted to the eye that never seemed to open, slowly moving to look at what I had become since the short amount of time since we had last (unintentionally) met. He appeared almost astounded that I had evolved into what I am currently, though I suppose I wouldn't really notice if I myself looked different. 

 _"You look a lot better,"_ Jiraiya mumbled kindly.

"Everything is better when away from Orochimaru," knowing that the one who had saved me was directly in front of me as we speak was mind-blowing all on its own, but the fact that it was Jiraiya made things even more amazing. "God, I thought I was hallucinating when I saw you dive in. Are you lying?"

"How could I lie about that?"

"I don't know; a lot of people seem to be finding out how to fuck me over in different ways."

"Yeah....." He chuckled in amusement at the accuracy of what I had said, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and his legs laced with one over the other. Another thought came to his mind as he childishly snorted, to which I was unsure if it were intentional or not, and asked: "So, am I still a bad person?"

"A little less so," my expression lifted to fit with the more lighthearted feel in the room, relieved that I was no longer anxious, sad, or angry, rather I was happier that I had come across my childhood hero. Realizing that the topic was done and over with, I spoke up to see what was next. "Did you need me for anything else?"

"No, I was just looking for the knucklehead, you know, just making sure he wasn't dead or something."

"I saw him last night, but that was it."

"Ah, well, there's nothing I can do."

"He should be fine."

"You're right," he pushed himself from the wall and turned to leave me alone in my broken and unkempt room. Before he could shut the door behind him, he came to a stop and halted his hand from pulling the knob after him, turning back with a curious expression. "Hey, kid?"

"Yeah?" I reached behind my head and began to tie the bandage over my eye, the discolored cloth giving me an 'I just escaped an insane and cliche hospital' look.

_"What all did he do to you?"_

The question took me by surprise and I almost let the bandage slip off of my face. 

"Or, more specifically, why were you up there? Running from him? How did you get away?"

"It...... It's still fuzzy. I don't know how I've forgotten and all, but I can't remember all of it. I don't know what's true anymore....." I could clearly picture the slitted yellow eyes watching with displeasure as I gradually got farther and farther away as I fell into the pool of water below me. "I woke up and..... my eye was in a jar in front of me. I didn't even think about it until I saw  _this."_ I pointed to my eye to indicate what I was talking about, just in case things were unclear to him. "I just ran.

"I may have gotten a bit  _bold_ when I leaped from the statue, but I'm glad I did."

 _"Are you a Jinchuriki?"_ The nod that I gave him helped in confirming his suspicions he had since the day we began traveling, especially when he sensed something other than the Nine-Tails' Chakra in the area. "He did a number on you, huh?"

"Unfortunately," I said somberly.

Jiraiya seemed to understand how it was hard to think about someone undergoing something of that caliber but knew it must be even more difficult for someone especially when they themselves are going through it. He took hold of the doorknob again and twisted it lightly, ensuring it didn't make too loud of a noise when he closed the door.

"I'll leave you alone for now; do whatever it was you were planning." And with that, he pulled the door to a close after his departure, leaving the silence and me alone together once more.

** ** **

_This town is bigger than I had initially thought it was._

Everywhere I turned was another road full of shops and hundreds of people bustling about in search of what they believed to be a good time. The sights, sounds, and even smells were so distracting that I nearly tripped over a chair outside of a passing coffee shop, but caught myself just in time to ensure that my face didn't smack into the ground.

_Wow; look at all of these people._

_Disgusting._

My feet had minds of their own as I was whisked away down a familiar path, towards what I could only assume to be the location of the now destroyed castle. I yearned to get a second look at the famed location despite the debris that clouded it, eager to let my imagination run wild and try to picture what it may have looked like in all of its previous glory.

The trip through the wooded area seemed like a long one the more I had to step over fallen logs or unstable rocks piled higher than my head threatened to ruin my trip. The more that I cursed at my misfortune, the more that I appeared to undergo; a swarm of birds grew defensive when I wandered too close to their nesting site, a cascade of rocks nearly sent me sliding to my doom, and a piece of paper fluttered through the wind and hit me directly in the face.

_What the?_

I carefully inspected the note, skimming over the handwriting before trying to interpret its meaning.

_Hi! If you're reading this, you've made it to the castle!_

It didn't seem to be significant to me, and I nearly threw it away but was hooked in by the curiosity of wanting to know what it was for.

 _I've heard about you and all that you've done from a friend of mine, so hopefully, we can meet up?_  

Who is this even for? And why was it left at the rubble of the castle?

_He told me that you would stop by the castle and that you'd listen, all because of something to do with a blond fox? I dunno what it means, but I'll be waiting for you, Faith!_

HOLD UP.

EXCUSE ME, WHAT??

_I'll be at the coffee shop in town!_

_See you soon!_

_~_ _T_ _. F. *_

I wasn't sure if I should be confused by the fact that there was a snowflake sticker beside his initials or the fact that his initials could potentially be an acronym for 'the fuck?'.

After reading through the note a good ten times, I was able to comprehend some of the content contained on the sheet of paper. It said something about a blond fox, which I could only assume referred to Naruto, but never once mentioned specifically any names other than mine. Why? Was it secret?

_Kenji._

Images of last night clouded my vision to give me the picture of him disguised as me to try and lead Naruto away towards something. What was Naruto being led to? I always suspected Kenji was working with, or shall I say  _for_ Orochimaru, but I couldn't seem to wrap my head around why he would need Naruto.

_Was Kenji a member of the Akatsuki?_

_But why would he be both Akatsuki and Orochimaru's fanboy?_

_But why else would he need Naruto?_

Without even thinking about it, my feet had turned me around and carried me back into town, with my nose buried deep into the note as I blended with the hundreds of people once more. My main concern was finding the original owner of the note so I could get some sort of clue as to where my friend was now.

I was quick to spot the coffee shop once my attention panned from the slip of paper to the environment around me. It was the same coffee shop that had caused me to trip earlier, and it seemed to be the only one of its kind in the area. I slipped into it as fast as I could and did a quick scan to see if it was Kenji pulling my leg again.

"Faith!"

_Who the fuck?_

The voice was completely different compared to the heartless tone I had expected from my dark-haired enemy. The simple calling of my name sounded cheery and excited, not dead and unforgiving. Curious to see who the stranger was, I carefully looked towards the sound of the voice behind me to see if I could recognize who it was.

_Everything about this boy is_ _**blue.** _

Half of his head was shaved, and the side that wasn't was a nice, teal blue color varying in length starting from his eye to his chin. His eyes were almost the same shade of blue as his hair, if not the exact same, which were bright and eager for what was to come. He even wore a nice blue collared shirt, though it covered a smaller, pitch black shirt underneath. He had fair, pale skin that looked cold to the touch, but his expression alone could warm your heart. 

"I'm the one who wrote the note!" He exclaimed.

I had more questions than answers, so I wasn't prepping for a response ahead of time. 

"I'm Takaya! Takaya Fujii!"

_New person, who dis?_

"Kenji told me so much about you!"

At the mention of Kenji I was quick to grow defensive; having close relations with someone of  _his_ sort was an issue all on its own, so I wasn't forgiving upon remembering Naruto. "What did he tell you, you weasel?"

"What? What did I do?" He looked hurt at my 'nickname', puffing out his cheeks and pouting by puckering his bottom lip. "Kenji told me that you don't like him very much; do you not like me either?"

"What are you talking about?" I hated the way that he continued to say Kenji's name aloud, as it seemed like a crime to even mention him in the first place thanks to all of the things he's been known to do. "Where is Naruto?"

"Naruto?" He was obviously puzzled at the mention of an unfamiliar name, though the recognition flashed across his face once he remembered his note. "Oh! The boy! Kenji said he sends his best regards or something to him."

"So he's not kidnapped?"

"Kidnapped? What kind of guy do you take him for?"

_"You really don't know Kenji, do you?"_

"I've known him for years!" He looked almost offended that I would suggest such a thing to him, and his puffed out cheeks and furrowed brows only further expressed his childish annoyance. "He's my friend!"

"I'm sure he is."

I was waiting for this kid to drop his facade so I could have a proper conversation with him without a pout keeping his lips sealed tight or his fuming making the blood rush to his head. The bright red in his former pale white cheeks was evident of the so-called success in his blood rushing to his brain through his self-inflicted bout of rage, which only further made me wish to leave the establishment and have him stay behind. It wasn't the childish behavior that was sending me over the edge, it was the fact that I couldn't deduce if it was genuine or not.

"Is that all you're here for?"

"Of course not! That would be stupid!" All it took was one blink for him to revert back to the cheerful kid he once was, his eyes lighting up and his mouth opened for his enthusiastic smile. "I'm here because of Ari-Sensei!"

_Excuse me?_

"Ari-Sensei?"

"You don't know? Of course, you don't know; you've been gone," he never gave me the chance to speak up about why he may have made a sudden appearance, but he did stun me into silence when he finished his next sentence. 

**_"I'm your new teammate!"_ **

  
  
  
  
  
  
Takaya:


	58. Chilling Surprises

_"I'm your new teammate!"_

His joy-filled smile sent a pang of dread tumbling down my spine at the mention of the team, and I had mixed feelings as to whether or not I actually wanted him to be working with us. I still wasn't completely over the loss of my previous teammates, yet less than a year later I'm having another member being thrust upon me. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Your teammate? I'm your new teammate!" He seemed to notice that I wasn't exactly following along with what he was saying, and was quick to justify what he had said. "Ari-Sensei was informed that we work together now, so he sent me out here to check on you and 'watch over you' since his lungs are still healing."

"So, you're staying?"

"For a while, yeah!"

I had to stand in a moment of silence to try and let the information get processed through my thick skull. Ari was apparently informed of this new 'fun fact' and had already sent out this boy, who is close friends with the murderous Kenji Tatsuo, to come and protect me from who I can only assume is the same killer emo.

This can't be real.

"Take a seat; coffee is on me!"

** ** **

_"What's your name again?"_

"Takaya Fujii."

Takaya and I were currently walking down the street, the fading sun a reminder of how we allowed ourselves to lose track of time. We had spent most of the time talking (more like him talking and I listening), but the rest of the time we went from shop to shop as Takaya browsed all of the unfamiliar products. Oddly enough, though we had been sharing some form of communication he had never actually shared much about himself; most of what he spoke of was to do with the items he was looking at or some comment he couldn't hold in. I was beginning to get curious about who he was as a person, and I suppose I got a bit too curious when I unintentionally cut him off from his monologue about hot chocolate and coffee.

"Do you have a brother or something?" It was a lame and desperate question to ask him, but I was eager to learn at least  _something_ other than his name.

"I have a sister."

"Is she joining our cell?" This one was probably driven by the Tatsumi brothers who had left all too soon, but it was a question nonetheless.

"No, she's still in the academy," he took a sip from the hot chocolate takeaway in his left hand and rejoiced in silence from the delightful sweet taste. "She got a late start since we're constantly on the move. I'm surprised that my dad lets me come out here alone."

"Is he strict?"

"Kinda, but for a good reason," he took a happy sip from the sweetened coffee in his right hand and glanced down to my own beverages, curious to see if I would drink them before they got cold.

"What for?"

"You haven't heard?"

"Heard what?"

"About the Fujii family?" When I shook my head no in response he blinked slowly with an odd expression on his face, as if he expected that  _everyone_ knew what was up. "We each have a bounty set on our heads worth more than the cost of each of the five nations combined."

I was concerned and frightened, to say the least; my view and opinion of him wasn't very strong, to begin with, but when he pulls something like this out of his ass it only makes him look even worse. "Are you criminals??"

"Do I look like a criminal?" He seemed genuinely curious to see how I looked at him but was quick to reassure when he saw how tense I had become. "We aren't criminals, we're just.... different."

"How so?"

As soon as I had asked he was quick to look around the two of us cautiously before handing me his coffee to hold for him as he presented his upturned palm. It was questionable, but I kept my mouth shut and focused on not spilling his drink.

"I trust you, so don't go blabbing to people outside of our village about this." The air seemed to get chilly at the way he had warned me, and at first, I was worried that it was just me shivering from the thought. When I saw the moisture in the air coming together to form an abnormally large snowflake in the palm of his hand, I was quick to correct myself. "Our jutsu doesn't really require much chakra when performing mundane tasks like this one. If there's a liquid, there's a way to freeze it. We're seen as weapons, nothing more."

"W-Weapons?" My teeth were chattering at the mere sight of the huge snowflake, but my eyes refused to look at anything else.

"Faith, do you know what makes up a good portion of the human body?"

"Water?"

What does that-----?

_Oh, wait._

"Wait, can you-----?"

"I've never done it and I never plan to," his gaze had dropped to the coffee in my hand that he had asked me to hold, seemingly disturbed at the thought of performing such an action. "That's why we move around so much. We're never safe from being used."

Takaya seemed like such a carefree guy at first glance so hearing about his tragic living conditions sucked the fun out of the evening. "I'm sorry...."

"Don't be! I can't let it get me down, so you don't need to apologize!" His smile was bright despite the gloomy happenings aforementioned. He looked like a generic anime character with his closed eye smile which was nice to see in such dark times. "I know that things will be alright!"

"You're very optimistic."

"You kinda need to be in today's world; everyone seems so down and defeated," he took back his cup of coffee and took a satisfying sip, letting the contents warm his throat before he spoke again. "Maybe if I can be happy despite the negatives I can motivate others to do so too."

_He's so pure._

A small glance to the sky overhead told me everything I needed to know about the time, and judging from the number of glittering stars shimmering in the dark indigo sky it was getting to be too late for the both of us to be out and about. "I have a pull-out couch in my hotel room, so you can stay in my room on the bed."

"You can have the bed; I'll take the couch!"

"You're the guest; you can have the bed."

"I'll just buy my own room!"

"That's not a good idea," memories of Kenji's sudden appearance the previous night was the determining factor in my decision, reminding me how unsafe I felt when alone. Now that I knew I had someone who was sent to stay by my side, I was not ready to 'let him go' so soon. "We can share a room."

"I'll buy us a NEW room with two beds then! And a HOT TUB!"

"Takaya, that's expensive-----"

"-----and room service! PENTHOUSE!"

"You're getting ahead of yourself."

My arm was snatched away from my side before I could screech out the word "NO!" to my icy companion. He refused to listen to any of the complaints that I had to share, so I found it in my heart to give in and accept.

"LET'S GET THAT PENTHOUSE ROOM!"

"Takaya, this isn't COOL!"

** ** **

_"Faith, you gotta try the hot tub."_

The room that Takaya had purchased was far more expensive than I had expected him to be able to afford; there were separate bedrooms for the two of us, a fully functional kitchen, hell, even a separate room for the large hot tub. I thought my eyes were going to pop out of my head from the shock.

"HOW DID YOU BUY THIS??"

"With money?"

"Not everyone has this much cash!"

"I'm a Fujii?"

I keep forgetting the conditions that Takaya was placed under, and that his family was bound to be loaded with money.

"I'm ordering food, do you want anything?"

"A salad or something I suppose."

"Anything you'd like added or taken away?"

"Add boiled eggs, no cucumber?"

"Coolio!"

_I wish I was this rich._

I was still amazed by the events that had taken place today; I met a nice guy who was apparently a member of my dysfunctional team, met my childhood hero all over again, and even got to spend the night in a room I expected to only visit in my dreams. I kept thinking about Naruto and how much I'd  _love_ to tell him about everything that's happened, but knowing him he'd probably be in some field training.

I should be training.

I lost control of my thoughts the moment I began to think about the old team I blamed myself for losing. Takuma took a blade to the chest so that I wouldn't take one to the brain, Kimashi was bitten by the Sannin and was fated to go, and now Ari was trapped in the hospital because of his lungs? Why can't I protect anyone? Is Takaya gonna die too? Is Ari gonna die? Am I strong enough for anything?

_"Hey, you okay?"_

I didn't even notice that Takaya had been trying to get my attention until I blinked and saw that his face was inches from my own with a curious expression. "You look a little.......dead inside."

"I'm fine, I'm just thinking."

"Think in the hot tub!"

"Why the hot tub?"

"It can help you relax or something."

_"Drown me in it, please?"_

"That's not healthy," he seemed genuinely concerned with my desire to be trapped underneath the water in the tub but didn't give up the idea of convincing me to bathe and relax. "Trust me, just relax in the hot tub!"

"I guess....." 

I was in a slumped stance the entire small trip to what appeared to be a wannabe prefect bathroom from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The room was unnecessarily large in size, not to mention the abnormal size of the so-called "hot tub". When I did finally allow myself to sink comfortably into the warm water with my possessions discarded against the wall I could feel all of my worries wash away. The water melted any of my previous concerns as the steam rose and further helped me to relax. I wasn't even aware that I was drifting off until something close behind me fell to the floor.

Takaya's jacket.

There was something visibly hanging out of the pocket that nearly slid into the water beside me. I caught it just in time, or  _them,_ soon discovering that there were two photographs in the 'stack'. Curious to see what was contained in these pictures I flipped the first one over to investigate and noticed that it was a family photo. From what I could see of the four of them, they all looked exactly like Takaya, and you could see his resemblance to his parents and his sister with their pale skin and blue, well, everything. Behind them was something that could only be described as a mansion, which I assumed to be their home. 

_His family must be loaded._

I dried my hands off and peeled the second photo away from the first to get a glimpse of what I expected to be another family photo, but was shocked, to say the least when I saw that it was instead a photo of both Takaya and Kenji.

_They're actually friends._

Surprisingly, Kenji didn't look like he was prepared to slaughter someone in the vicinity and seemed okay with Takaya's (who seemed extremely happy) arm draped over his shoulder.

_Why is he friends with Kenji?_

_"Have you seen my jacket?"_

I didn't even hear the knocking on the door but when he suddenly spoke I nearly dropped his photos into the water. At first, I didn't even trust myself to speak but eventually managed out an, "It's in here!" 

"Can you bring it out with you when you're done? You locked the door..."

"Of course!"

"Cool," there wasn't any sound after he said this so I assumed that he had left me to my own devices, but then he stated, "your salad is out here!"

"Okay, I'll be out soon."

Things went dead silent once he stepped away from the door and I immediately looked back down to the photo that was in my hand. He certainly wasn't lying that he knew Kenji, and I'd assume that since Kenji didn't look like he was ready to kill in the photo that they were indeed pretty close to one another.

_Is Kenji using him?_

_Or is Takaya using me?_

** ** **

I woke up in a mess of comfortable blankets and pillows that I didn't feel like dragging myself away from. Everything felt so warm and inviting that if it wasn't for me remembering that I had the training to do, I would have slipped back into unconsciousness.

I was quick to get dressed and ready myself for the day ahead of me so I could zoom out of the door and into an area to train. On the way out I saw Takaya's bedroom door was open and half of his body (the upper half) was hanging over the side of the bed as his mouth hung open along with it. Quickly getting over the sight of his drool trailing up (or is it down?) his head I made my way into town to search for a place to buy what I'd need. I found a man who sold balloons and another who sold rubber balls and immediately moved towards the forest I was fated to travel yesterday.

The forest floor was uncomfortable, to say the least, but my focus was turned to the solid rubber ball in my hand that had refused to explode no matter how hard I had tried. I could feel the sweat beading my forehead from the sheer force of my determination to succeed and the chakra that refused to burst even a small portion of the ball. My mind began to wander further from what I was intended to be focusing on the longer I did my best to make this stupid ball explode. Why did Kenji show up to get ahold of Naruto? Was it something Akatsuki related like before with Sasuke's brother? Is he not working for Orochimaru? But why would he say that he is? How do I know that Kenji won't "accidentally" kill me despite the fact that Orochimaru seems so intent on leaving me alive?

_Speaking of that fucker._

What makes me so special? Or, rather, not special enough to the point where he modifies me into a human weapon? Why does he keep making sure that nothing that I care for stays?

_Like my team?_

Takuma took a sword to the (almost) heart so that I wouldn't get killed. But what if Takuma hadn't stepped in? Would I  **actually** have died? Did Orochimaru know that Takuma would sacrifice himself? And what about Kimashi? Why did he bite him in the first place? Was he getting rid of him first because he knew what he was doing? Did he know Kimashi would release that jutsu he had?

Speaking of my team...

What exactly happened to Ari? How can I be sure that he isn't holding out on me? How did his brother actually die? How did his parents actually die? Is Ari being honest with me? Why are his lungs still causing him problems?

Why does everything have to keep crashing and burning?

And what about Kenji's teammates that he killed? Why don't I remember anything after they were slaughtered like pigs in front of me? Didn't Kenji care about them, even if only a little? And what's this about Takaya? Did Ari actually send him or was it Kenji?

_HOW DO I KNOW WHO TO TRUST??_

_POP!_

I was nearly sent into cardiac arrest when I was blown back from the pressure inside the ball finally causing it to combust. Once I came to terms with what had happened, I felt myself let out a shaky and relieved laugh knowing that I had finally gotten closer to learning a cool new jutsu. Without even thinking about it I quickly grabbed a balloon, filled it up with air, and continued on to the final step without a break.

Nearly twenty minutes in resulted in me knowing that I was going to be completing this step in but a few hours. Knowing how easy it was for me to keep it contained in the first two stages resulted in my growing confidence, but the problem came with keeping up the intensity. Matching the power used to burst the other two while also maintaining the spherical shape; that was the challenge.

After nearly forty minutes of bursting holes in the flimsy patterned balloons my feet carried me all the way back into town and into the crowds of bustling people. I didn't pay any mind to the pedestrians that busily bumped into me and made me pop my attempts as I was confident in my abilities to maintain it. I contemplated going and finding Jiraiya to ask for help, but then I remembered what he had said to Naruto when he worked up the courage to request assistance. Knowing Jiraiya, he'd probably be someplace whoring himself out.

With time passing faster than I remember it being able to, I found myself in the middle of an open field right beside the town. I could still see people going in and out of shops at an alarming rate to purchase things they surely didn't need, so I was close to anything I may need to purchase myself.

"Faith, you're alive!"

_"But at what cost?"_

"Huh?" I wasn't sure if Takaya was playing dumb when he came to a stop beside me or if he just genuinely hadn't heard me.

"Nothing," I wasn't in the mood to explain or repeat what I had said, so I just went back to focusing on the stripped green balloon in my hand. "What are you doing here in this random location?"

"Looking for you," I was still looking at my balloon so I didn't see his eyes light up when I spoke to him. "I'm bored and wanted to hang out!"

"Well, I'm not doing anything really important," my voice was dripping with sarcasm, but knowing Takaya I knew he would take it literally.

"Great!" He plopped down in front of me on the grass, sitting immediately cross-legged and holding onto his feet while he rocked back and forth. He stayed like this for a minute or two before growing bored of simply watching me concentrate. He wanted to think of something, and he wanted to think of it quick, but couldn't think of anything that didn't include something personal. "I told you about me but you didn't tell me much about you."

"I mean, what is there to tell?"

"Err... Tell me about your family!"

_"They're all dead."_

"W-What about your friends?"

Now that I took some time to think about it I realized that I didn't have as many friends as I had initially thought. I knew quite a few people, that much I knew to be true, but friends? "I'm friends with Naruto Uzumaki and Rock Lee."

"They sound nice! What are they like?"

"They're both constantly full of energy and can brighten any room." Over the tune that we've been "out and about" I've come to see Naruto as being more and more obnoxious the longer I was trapped in his company. Lee, on the other hand, was someone that I wanted to spend time with. Each of our encounters felt almost rushed when looking back on them, and it was odd to think that I hadn't seen him as often as I had originally thought. "They're off the walls most of the time, but they're tolerable once you get used to them."

"I'd love to meet them," Takaya added.

"Naruto is somewhere nearby, so you won't have to wait too long for that." Before I had even finished what I was going to say the green stripped balloon in my hand popped after a nearly successful attempt.

"How long have you been at this?"

"For a few hours now, why?"

"You should take a break," he seemed ready to hop up off the ground at any given moment, and when he did a moment later he nearly headbutted me into submission. "We can go and get some ice cream or something!"

"I've already imposed on you enough," the remains of the balloon, thankfully, were easy to pick up to discard so I wouldn't get a charge for littering or something. The ice cream was the last thing I thought I needed right now; I was making damn good progress before he came along and tried to strike up a conversation, plus, I didn't like feeling that I was too poor and prideful to keep asking him for things.

_"I'm getting you an ice cream whether you like it or not."_

Takaya was suddenly very demanding and assertive out of nowhere, and looking up at him, I thought my blood would freeze to a stop if I objected.

"Let's go! Grab your balloons and balls so we can leave!"

** ** ** The 6th Night

Nearly a week had passed since our run-in with Tsunade and her reasonably anxious assistant Shizune. I had very few run-ins with the two idiots that I traveled out here with in the first place, though I did mention that I was "staying with a friend" and that they shouldn't worry about me being kidnapped or something. It was hard to believe that things have been going the way they are, and it was all that was running through my head as I chowed down on a bowl of cereal in my silent hotel room. I could feel the boredom coursing through my veins with each minute that passed me by, and I considered going off to bed until I saw my bag of balloons from earlier.

_I might as well train._

I set my bowl of cereal on the nightstand at my bedside to allow me the balance needed to lean over the side of the bed and quickly snatch up a deflated balloon. With more effort than I'd like to admit I got the balloon inflated to the desired size, quickly filling it with chakra to begin my late-night practice. The week had flown by rather quickly and I was anxious to find out what Naruto's deadline held in store for us.

Maybe it can be my deadline too?

I felt like I had been training for hours upon hours with the amount of focus I had been giving to the air-filled spheres. It was much quieter and peaceful at this time of night which really helped in keeping me calm and concentrated, but something, call it a gut feeling, continued to nag me that something was going to happen.

Who cares? As long as I'm strong enough to handle it.

** ** **

The eager and forceful beating of a fist on my bedroom door got me up with a start, shocking me into sitting upright in my bed as if this was an armed robbery I had to be aware of.

"Hey, Faith?" Takaya's voice rang out through the wooden door, "there are three people waiting at the door for you. They  _really_ seem to need you..."

_Oh no._

I felt like a firefighter with how quick I had forced myself to get ready. My heart had felt ready to leap out of my chest at any moment as I thought only the worst about what this encounter would hold. It had to go with that gut feeling. I have to trust my gut.

As soon as I dashed from the bedroom and to the front door I was greeted with the odd sight of Jiraiya, who looked sickly, leaning dangerously on the doorway with Shizune and Naruto, who actually looked serious for once, standing behind him in the hall.

"We need to go after Tsunade."

_Say no more._

Soon we were gliding through the trees at a fast pace, hoping that we'd make it just in time for a fight to be diverted. I soon found out what had happened the night before with Tsunade practically rendering Shizune unconscious to prevent her from protesting. A deal had been made with Orochimaru that, in return for healing his hands, he would bring back two people she had once held dear. There was no doubt in my mind that the moment his hands were restored back to their original state he would come back to attack the village a second time to finish what he had started.

_Would she actually help him?_

When we landed in front of the rubble of the ancient castle from a little over a week ago, there was far more destruction than there had been when we had last seen it. The problem with the destruction was that we weren't sure as to whether she had declined his offer or he had ripped her off and tried to  _finish_  her off. With the help of Tonton, Shizune's pig, we were able to track Tsunade's scent and follow it until we reached a large, grassy field that expanded father than the eye could follow.

What a view.

It was a nice view until we realized the situation we were in, with Kabuto charging at Tsunade with intent to kill burning behind his large, spherical glasses. Before the blow could land, the five of us appeared in front of him, leading him to skid to a stop.

_I've seen him before._

"Kabuto!" Naruto's obnoxious voice didn't fail in drowning out everyone else in the vicinity only for him to be tossed aside as Tsunade charged the silver-haired boy with killer intent. She reared back her fists to assault him with everything in her power and it almost succeeded until Kabuto took out a blade and... cut himself?

The look on Kabuto's face revealed just how cocky he had become when Tsunade halted all movements as her eyes saw nothing but red.

Is she afraid of blood?

Kabuto drew his fist back and gave his punch everything he had to send Tsunade flying back into Shizune, causing the two of them to go tumbling to the ground.

_Where have I seen him before?_

Naruto appeared to be conflicted about Kabuto's reason for wanting to attack which confused me since it seemed off that Naruto saw him as a good guy. Knowing the nature of the glasses wearing boy it was "out of character" for him to show any genuine emotion other than "I'm planning to kill you". What had these two gone through before?

_"Look at his headband; he works for Orochimaru."_

It seemed like Naruto had just been slapped in the face with the truth, something he appeared not to be able to handle, and knowing that he had apparently trusted Kabuto in the past only for him to be a spy for one of the enemies who had caused him trouble? It was certainly a punch to the gut.

_Where have I seen him before?_

I remember that mischievous smirk as he gave up before the preliminaries, being the only one to do so, walking away and fading into nothing more than a boy with weird intent in my mind. Half of me swore that this guy was nothing to me and the fact that he gave me half of a devious smile that one day was purely a coincidence, but another half of me was sure that I had seen him somewhere, anywhere before the Chunin Exams.

_But where?_

_Where had I seen those nerdy glasses before?_

"---if you try something, I'll kill you---"

_"---Kabu-San?"_

The reaction that Kabuto had was something that almost went unnoticed but for a fraction of a second, I could see something quickly flash in his eyes behind those large glasses of his. I had struck some sort of nerve with the childish nickname my brain had come up with but the problem was that I didn't know  _why._

Before I was able to put two and two together Naruto nearly shoved me into the dirt as he charged towards Kabuto, hands formed together for him to perform his ever-so-popular Shadow Clone Jutsu.

_Where do I remember him from??_

The Naruto clones were easily defeated one by one as they disappeared into a cloud of smoke, the real one being sent back into Shizune, who had spit poison-drenched needles. The fighting wasn't getting anywhere, at least, it hadn't yet, and there was no doubt that things would only get worse from here.

"Faith, what are you doing??"

Jiraiya seemed to notice that I wasn't exactly "paying attention" to everything that was unfolding around me, and since he wasn't perfectly capable of taking care of himself, thanks to the effects of the drugs, he seemed a little concerned when it came to the idea of taking care of another.

_I've seen him before._

_I know him._

~

_I couldn't feel anything._

_My small hands were laying on the floor with my palms upturned, my legs out in front of me but ever so slightly outwards with my head hung and my eyes glazed over._

_I'm five years old._

_Why do I feel like this?_

_I released a small cough, relieving myself from the small tickle in my throat, lightly recoiling from a sharp pain in my chest as I did so. I watched the small specks of blood hit the ground near my hand, watching splatter onto the floor beneath me._

_It was faint, but my ears could pick up the hushed whispers from the next room._

_"Lord Orochimaru," the voice began, "the chakra has been implanted. What should we do about her illness?"_

_"Start fixing her the best you can. We can't send her back with no progress. Just... don't fix her completely. We need a reason to bring her back."_

_"Right."_

_Shortly afterward I slowly felt my face being lifted up from under my chin by cold fingers, coming face to face with Kabuto. He looked a little concerned as he looked me over, noticing my empty eyes. He found a bit of comfort though when he heard me speak._

_"When can I go home, Dr, Kabuto?"_

_He blinked away the surprise in his eyes as he gave me a gentle smile. "You can go home tomorrow, okay? We just need to fix you up."_

_"Will I have to come back?"_

_He hesitated for a moment before responding with a yes._

_"Oh." I looked down at the floor before glancing back up at him. "Can I bring Momma next time?"_

_He hesitated again._

_"I'll ask... Dr. Orochimaru."_

_"Okay..."_

_He began to take my vitals and such as usual, taking my temperature and my blood pressure as he slowly worked his way to listen to my lungs. No surprise to either of us when he realized how damaged they still were. When he was done he slowly rose and took my hand._

_Another day to try and be fixed._

~

"Faith!"

My eyes were glued to Kabuto as he rushed to Orochimaru's side, unnerved by the  _memory_ that had decided to pay a visit. The longer I stared the longer I was conflicted about what my opinion of him should be. He was the enemy, that much was made clear, but all I could remember was that kind, gentle smile.

"I remember you. You..." That smile on his face was all I could see as I looked at what I had convinced myself to be a person I could trust. Maybe that's why Naruto felt so let down. "You asshole. You..."

 _What could I say?_ Nothing could be said that would change how things happened in the past. And knowing him anything that I'd say would be brushed off as nothing more.

_I... I want to hit him._

No, what?

_I want to hurt him._

I... I do?

_Kill him._

This isn't me!

What is happening to me??

It all happened so fast; everything in me felt out of my control as the large snake from before making a reappearance. Rather than moving to a safe location towards the rest of the group my feet were planted firmly into one spot and refused to move a single inch.

_Why can't I move??_

**_You want him dead, don't you?_ **

_N-No??_

_**You want that nerd and his snake companion to be rid of?** _

_Do I?_

**_Let me help you. Let me take over from here._ **

_I..._

Before I was able to gather my thoughts I could only watch in horror as the giant snake dove for me, its jaw opened wide and fangs ready to pierce.

_This is the end._

** ** **

_Over the past two years, there was a steady improvement in my health. My lungs were doing much better, and now I was left to surprisingly do some training. For some reason, Dr. Kabuto and Dr. Orochimaru were intent on teaching me to fight, hoping to make me stronger in due time. I was currently sparring with Kabuto as we speak, as Dr. Orochimaru watched from a distance._

_"That's it, you can do it." Kabuto cheered me on as I struggled to land a blow. "Just focus. A little more, and you'll be perfect." Right as the words left his mouth, I had managed to work my way around him, punching him in the stomach and making him stagger backward a little. A smirk crossed over Orochimaru's face as I hopped up and down in victory._

_"I did it!"_

_Footsteps began padding towards me as Orochimaru clapped his hands slowly. "Congrats, my dear; you've done a splendid job."_

_"You really think so??"_

_"Of course!" Kabuto exclaimed, bending down a little to reach my level. "Not just anyone can manage to punch me in the stomach."_

_By the time I was finished with my cheering, I was beaming with pride. Not much could ruin my mood after accomplishing something so big._

_"Alright. Time to take you home." Orochimaru stated promptly._

_"I don't wanna go home right now; I wanna fight more with Kabu-San!"_

_"I know, my dear, but it's time to go." He slowly reached over and placed a hand on my head, watching as the world around me faded to black..._   
  


** ** **

When I was back in control of my body I realized that the floor that I was desperately clinging to was wet and spongy feeling. I had a kunai knife grasped in my right hand that was lodged into said "floor" and had a strange gut feeling telling me that if I let go of the blade I would fall to my demise.

_Am I in the snake's mouth?_

Common sense started to kick in once I began to put two and two together and soon I was attempting to pull myself towards what I could only assume was the snake's mouth. It seemed like a decent idea at first as I was climbing my way to "victory" but a thought crossed my mind frequently the closer I got.

How will I get out?

The tricky part wasn't making my way to the beast's scaly lips, the problem was getting them to open up and free me. The thing that literally blocks my escape has shut tight, and now I have no idea how to get out. Could I potentially inflict more damage? Is that even possible? Perhaps my best option is to try and squeeze my way through.

With all the strength I was able to muster I managed to army crawl my way past the snake's large lips and back into the real world in which I belonged. I would have celebrated my success but once I saw what was left for me outside, I honestly considered crawling back in. Shizune and Naruto were injured all for the sake of the terrified medical Sannin and Orochimaru were fighting head to head with the famed Toad Sage. I watched as Kabuto advanced towards Tsunade without fear of being stopped and knew that this would be the time for me to step in.

I hopped down from the snake's mouth, stumbling ever so slightly when my feet managed to hit the ground. The memories from before were fresh on my mind which made my blood boil, encouraging me to stand up for my injured comrades and not run away like a coward.

"Kabuto, stop!"

He turned towards me at the sound of his name on my lips, nonchalant and unconcerned with what I would do. He wasn't afraid of me, he made that clear.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked.

"A liar, for starters."

He smirked.

"I knew I had seen you somewhere before," my eye scanned his features that I only recently had come to remember, thinking back on the time when they weren't so smug and unforgiving. "Now I know that you were one of the people who made me this way."

"If it wasn't for Lord Orochimaru, I'd finish you off," Kabuto quickly glanced to the man in question before focusing back on me. "But since I can't..."

I watched as he reared his fist back for a punch aimed towards Tsunade, and felt the need to lunge forward in a feeble attempt to protect her. Before I could move fast enough to even try to stop him, a flash of orange leaped forward to take the blow, his headband blocking the punch from hitting his forehead.

Naruto.

I could only watch in amazement as Naruto began to form a Rasengan in the palm of his hand; he was angered enough to ensure that there was enough power implemented into it, but what really surprised me was the fact that it was formed into the sphere that Jiraiya had shown us in the process of learning it. 

Could I try doing it as well?

I wasn't given the chance to prepare a sudden Rasengan as a newcomer threatened to end my life. I sensed him before he had the chance to land a blow, snatching a kunai from my leg pouch and blocking the one that was forced down on me from above. The metal scraped against metal as the two of us fought for dominance, hopping back once the pair of us realized that we refused to give in.

_"Kenji??"_

"It's been a few days, huh?"

I wasn't in the mood to see him again, especially after what had happened previously. The thoughts were fresh on my mind and I was prepared this time to successfully take him down. "I don't have time for you! Get out of my way!"

"What's the deal with your eye?" It was as if everything I had just said was completely ignored as he brought up the topic of my left eye. "Why do you always look like a Kakashi ripoff?"

"There's nothing wrong with me!  _Get out of my way!"_

"Nah, I'm curious now," his hands were lazily shoved into his pockets as he smirked, eyeing me with curiosity. "I want to know what's under your bandage."

_"I said gET OUT OF MY WAY!"_

The ground beneath our feet seemed to crumble as a strong gust of wind forced Kenji backward. He raised his arms up and made an "x" like a shield to protect him, though holding his ground proved to be difficult with the pressure of wind trying to knock him back.

"What the fuck are you??"

"Angry."

Kenji chuckled at this. "Guess that makes two of us."

The gust of wind gradually subsided allowing the boy to charge. He had nothing but his fists this time, just as I did, as we charged one another head-on. Thanks to the adrenaline pumping through me, I was able to match his speed, meeting him in the middle with fists drawn and at the ready. When the two of us had come together our fists hit their marks in which they were intended. His fist landed perfectly on the side of my left cheek which tossed my head harshly to the side, and my fist hit him square in the gut, making his body awkwardly jerk back as he went flying backward. I slammed into the ground a little to the right of where I was standing, disoriented as I tried to find a way to lift myself from the ground without it seeming to move. Kenji crashed down just a little way past Tsunade, Naruto, and Kabuto, drawing the attention of the silver-haired medic as the rubble nearly struck him across the nose. His eyes trailed from the dirty boy on the ground to me, his eyes meeting my own as he gave a little smirk in amusement.

We locked eyes for what felt like ages; I could remember the same eyes looking at me as I accomplished something new in Orochimaru's base, praising my actions and promising to get me some sweets later on for what I had done. The time seemed to pass by quicker when I realized Naruto was aiming a punch towards him, which reminded me of the situation we were currently in.

Kenji had already hopped back up from the crater he had fallen into, confusion masking his deadened exterior which nearly confused me because he was actually showing emotion.

"What, can you not handle a little girl, Kenji?" Kabuto spoke right next to his younger ally, taunting him without fear of being attacked.

"Fuck you; can you not handle an ADHD boy?" Kenji retorted.

"Fuck you."

"That's what I thought," Kenji muttered as he swiped at the faint trail of blood moving down his bottom lip, a mischievous glint in his eye as he stormed forward to prepare for his next attack with a smirk. He was plotting something, I could see it in his icy blue eyes, but the issue was if my body would properly react to what he dished out. "You better prepare yourself, little bitch."

His words went right over my head as my eyes focused in on the ground beneath my feet. Something was happening to my body, something out of my control, and it scared me to realize that there was nothing I could do to stop it.

_What if I do something stupid?_

_What if I hurt someone?_

"Are you even listening?"

_**You want to kill him too, don't you?** _

The voice was unfamiliar to me; it wasn't the edgy scorn I expected from Kenji, but it was a dangerous drawl that seemed to invite me to partake in the deeds his message foretold.

_I... Not really. He just makes me angry._

**_How angry?_ **

I thought back to the murders of his teammates that did nothing wrong, the mercy he refused to show to Senri during the preliminaries, how he FRAMED me for a murder that I had absolutely no part in.

_Very angry._

**_Is that so? Then let me take over from here. I promise I'll handle him well._ **

Something about the voice I was arguing with in my head seemed off to me, not only because it sounded nothing like my conscience (or, rather, what I had expected it to sound like) but also that it was trying to lead me down the wrong path.

_What? No! Who even are you?_

**_Are you playing stupid? I've been with you for years now and this is the first time you notice me?_ **

_Are you...?_

**_A Biju? Of course, I am._ **

_And you want to... to take over from here?_

**_You catch on quick._ **

Kenji scoffed as he opened up the pouch on his leg to retrieve something that didn't look like a shuriken or a kunai.

_Why would you want to do that?_

Kenji held a little sphere in his hand giving a smirk before tossing it into his mouth and crunching it. His skin almost seemed to be tainted a red color as his chakra and energy roared to life. It's the same thing that Kiba used during the preliminaries. Knowing that I know this won't go as easily as planned.

_**Because you're weak and pathetic.** _

I could only watch as Kenji dived in for the kill with murderous intent burning hot in his eyes. My body refused to listen to what I wanted, feet froze in place and a rapid heartbeat.

_I am not!_

**_Don't lie to yourself. Just look at you! You can't even protect the ones you care about._ **

_Shut up!_

**_They're dropping like flies and all you can do is watch and sob._ **

_"I said shut up!"_

I didn't even realize that I had shouted this one out loud. I was wobbly on my feet, probably from some attack that I had completely ignored. It's like I was fading in and out of control, and whatever was fighting me, it was winning. All I could do was clasp my hands over my ears in an attempt to shut out the voice in my head, though I knew that it wouldn't change anything.

_**Why? Am I striking a nerve? You're worse than that boy over there!** _

My eyes trailed over to Naruto, watching him as he recklessly attacked Kabuto.

_Naruto? How would you know??_

_**Because I'm inside him too, you brat.** _

Something clicked in my head like the final puzzle piece had finally been found and placed. I finally had an idea of who was in my head.

_You're that demon fox!_

**_Took you long enough._ **

_You think I'm gonna let you kill everyone in the vicinity? You're dumber than I thought!_

**_You aren't strong enough to deny me._ **

_Excuse me?_

**_I'm taking over from here._ **

It's like I was a puppet being controlled by someone else. I watched as I took a better stance before everything began to fade.

_Bullshit!_

**_What can you do to stop me?_ **


	59. Out of Control

"If you don't want to listen, that's fine by me." Kenji cracked his knuckles effortlessly, twisting his head around to give it the same treatment. "I think you know what's coming regardless."

He moved to storm forward, though something caught his eye in the process, halting his movements as he squints in confusion. "What is this?"

I was hunched in an awkward position with my head hung and my gaze focused on the ground. I trembled slightly, arms twitching and swaying back and forth as I shifted, my posture straightening out and head rising, revealing my bright  _red_ eye.

"What?" He took a cautious step back from what he originally saw as a pathetic girl, now wary of the terrifying presence. "I thought it was your left eye that looked funny."

It all happened in the blink of an eye; I dashed forward towards the Tatsuo boy as if my body was moving on its own will. I could only watch as I aimed punches, kicks, and even made attempts to claw at him. I would occasionally get down on all fours like some sort of  _beast,_ reaching out with sharpened claws in hopes of ending his pathetic life. Before I was given the chance to grab hold of one of his eyes, a foot landed directly in the center of my chest, a powerful kick throwing me back to the ground. I could see the look of confusion in his ice blue orbs, yet disgust was just as visible. 

"Is that what Kabuto was talking about?" He asked, breath ragged. "Is that why you're the favorite?"

"Guess you're still second best, huh?"

I could see from the look in his eyes that it got to him, not only bringing back memories of the Senri and Akyra event and the 3rd part of the exams but whatever situation at home that had initially caused this problem to arise. I had no idea what made me say something like that!

Or...

_Why did you just---??_

**_Say what you were thinking?_ **

_I was not thinking about that!_

**_In the back of your mind, you were._ **

Kenji was pissed; the hatred in his eyes for me was stronger than I had ever seen from anyone in my life. There was no doubt in my mind that he was aiming to kill me, be it with his gaze or the assortment of sharp objects that now littered the ground.

_**Why do you keep fighting me back? You know that I can do so much more. You keep resisting for no logical reason.** _

_I'm not turning into a monster like you!_

**_It's too late for that._ **

I was dashing forward towards the Tatsuo, hatred coursing through my veins at the thought of all he had done to not only myself but each and every person who had happened to cross his path. So many people who were attacked and harmed, some even killed in his merciless rampages only fueled the flame within me, further pushing me away from a stable sense of control. My actions no longer seemed like my own.

_**You became a monster all on your own.** _

_That's a load of bull._

**_Is it? From what I'm seeing, your intentions haven't always been that good._ **

My body moved on its own, fists darting out with the intent to kill the boy that had caused problems for everyone I had come to know and love. He was a terrible person, no one could convince me otherwise and now seemed like the right time to stop him in his tracks.

**_I can see your dark side even if you can't. You want to be the best and if someone takes that from you, you look for revenge._ **

A sudden kick to the chest sent my body flying back like a rag doll caught in the wind, the ground cracking under my sudden weight being forced down on it. Kenji was undoubtedly furious with the words that had carelessly spilled from my mouth only moments ago, though I was struggling to focus thanks to the voice in my head.

_That's not true._

**_But isn't it? Haven't you always wanted to be the best? The fastest? The strongest?_ **

I let out an ear piercing scream against my will, my throat going raw from the sheer amount of force and power it took to do so. I was down on all fours like an animal, gusts of wind seemingly appearing from my gaping mouth which was blowing back everything in my path. I could feel something attached to my back end that almost felt like tails, which was a little concerning but it had to be something I was imagining, right? Just as I'm imagining the sharp, fang-like teeth protruding from my mouth.

Of course, I do. Everyone always strives to be the best. That's a normal thing.

**Normal. That it is. Just as killing or being okay with the deaths of those around you is normal for you too.**

What the fuck are you implying?

**Well, for someone who's lost everything, you don't seem to care much, do you?**

I lunged for Kenji without so much as a second thought, tackling him to the ground and flailing my limbs wildly in an attempt to do some damage, though my hopes of winning were crushed when my eyes met Kenji's. I was suddenly hit in the chest with one of his sandaled feet, searing pain consuming my head and a sharp pain being sent through my chest as Kenji made an attempt to scramble away. The angrier he got, the more my head would hurt, and he didn't seem too happy with me right now.

_Excuse me?? I care for them immensely!_

**_You sure moved on fast._ **

The pain was the only thing that I was aware of now, the monster inside me taking care of everything else. It was like looking through a window into a new world, but only being able to see, nothing more. I could see Naruto was bleeding, which was concerning on its own, but I could only watch from behind the glass as Orochimaru dove for him.

What if something happened to him? What if he died here? What if I was tasked with going home and telling the news, only being able to utter out the words "I was unable to save him". What then?

Orochimaru inched closer and closer to my childhood friend, my mind screaming for me to move forward, to take the blade, to do  _something._ Just when I felt nearly ready to burst I watched Tsunade, the same woman who feared blood and nearly killed Naruto upon first meeting him, take the blade to save his life. The sight of a sword being stabbed through her chest instinctively made me turn my gaze away, which allowed me to see the chaos that has taken place. Jiraiya is lying in a rather large crater in the ground, Kabuto is injured, Orochimaru is with Tsunade, Shizune apparently just fucking disappeared, and Kenji is sitting a few yards away from me with a dirty look in his eyes.

Speaking of his eyes...

My head is  _pounding_ now, my vision going in and out as my body aches to be put out of its misery.

_Sometimes you have to accept that things have happened._

I could hear distant footsteps behind me as someone made their way over to me. All thoughts of who it could be left my mind as I made my way over to Kenji, grabbed him by his leg, and threw him as far as I was able to.

_You have to accept that the past is in the past, that you must move towards the future, a brighter future that includes you being the best you can be._

My body wanted to turn and do the same to the newcomer. Was it Orochimaru? Was it an ally? It didn't matter to me at the moment.

_That's all I can do. I can only hope for a future like this._

By this point, Kenji has yet to move from his new position.

_But fuck do I miss them._

My body finally decided to listen when I wanted to turn, allowing me to see Jiraiya, who looked as if he had seen better days, looking at me with a mix of concern and readiness to fight if need be. Something wet seemed to be rolling down my cheeks, but it didn't matter to me at the moment. The feeling of having tails and fangs were quickly fading, leading me to question if they were there in the first place.

_**"I miss them. So fucking much."** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why am I so fucking edgy


	60. Coming Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh here it is fellas

Jiraiya stared at me with visible confusion clouding his gaze at the sight of me crying like a child. With the way he was standing he looked like he was debating something in his mind, though he didn't get to stick around long thanks to the large snake and slug that was summoned. I was fully invested in watching the fight as soon as Jiraiya summoned a large toad, but like everything else that has happened in this fic, it was taken away from me. Kenji had finally gotten back to his feet and had locked eyes with me, signaling that there was a different fight for me to focus on for the time being. We lunged for one another like we had done several times in the past, our fists are drawn back and hatred is coursing through our veins.

We both stopped.

I know that I'm a coward when it comes to a lot of things, but at the moment I want nothing more than to punch this kid's teeth down his throat. My first thought was that I was losing control over my body thanks to my "roommate" but when I saw that Kenji wasn't getting any closer to me I grew to be very  _very_ confused.

_Until I looked down, of course._

My feet, still angled as if I were in the middle of running, were frozen solid to the ground.

_Wait a minute._

There's only one person I know who uses ice like this, no, wait, make that two, but only one of them has been around lately. I guess Kenji got the same idea because we both began to frantically search for the source of our problem.

_"What are you two doing??"_

"Takaya??"

Kenji and I both said his name the moment he made an appearance, watching our pale, ice-using friend walk up to the two of us with a questionable expression.

"I leave the two of you alone for a little bit and this is what I get?"

"You don't understand---!" I started.

"---she's actually a bad guy!" Kenji finished.

_I'm sorry, what?_

"No, she isn't!" Takaya looked like his head was going through a loop with the way the two of us were arguing like children, his hand rising to massage the bridge of his nose. "What are you talking about??"

"C'mon, Takaya," Kenji stressed, "who do you trust more? Me? Or some little  _rat_ you found?"

"Found?" Takaya looked confused as he took a step forward, his gaze passing between the two of us. "I've been assigned as her teammate! Ari-Sensei sent me out here."

_"Did he now?"_

Kenji's eyes trailed over me, letting the new information seep into that thick skull of his. The most concerning thing on my mind at this point was that I wasn't sure what was going through his head; would he be that pathetic and use his friend in order to extract information or anything of the sort? Based off my previous encounters, I wouldn't doubt it.

_"Who did he want you to protect her from?"_

"I dunno, he didn't give me any specific names..." Takaya replied.

"That's a bit dangerous, don't you think? What if it was someone you knew?"

Takaya gave Kenji a funny look, not catching on to what was being hinted at. "He assured me that I wouldn't know them because I've moved around too much."

_"This is nice and all, but can you please free my legs so I can pick up where I left off?"_

I had finally snapped while watching the two carry on a conversation without me, but what really annoyed me was how oblivious my new ally was. There wasn't any way that Kenji could have made it more obvious that  _he's_ the one Ari warned him about, but knowing how unlucky things tend to be for me, I should have seen this coming.

"C'mon, Faith, it was just a tiny disagreement, right?" Kenji smirked once I butt in, turning his head to look at me again while forcing an innocent smile. "I think we can hug it off and forget about it in the morning."

_I'm sorry, WHAT?_

_"You've got to be fucking kidding me,"_  I barked, "you're  _literally_ a  _bad guy_ and you want me to  _forgive_ you??"

"Bad guy? I know we've had our feuds, but am I really all that bad?"

_Is this a fucking joke?_

The fight behind us seemed to have ceased, the large animal summons disappearing and leaving things to be much calmer than they had been before. My gaze managed to meet with Jiraiya's own, though he seemed to understand that I didn't need or want another fight to take place, especially since Takaya was around and was unaware of the things Kenji had done.

"If I let you go, will you stop fighting?"

"N---" I started.

"---of course. It was only a little disagreement," Kenji finished.

_"You're bleeding."_

"A little  _dangerous_ disagreement."

Takaya seems a little hesitant to free the two of us, but he eventually did so which was very relieving. As soon as we were freed, Kenji turned to me automatically, his footsteps becoming more apparent the closer he got. At this point, my mind began to shift into maximum overdrive, finally questioning why I agreed to let Kenji go. The closer he got the warier I became of what he was doing, watching as he opened his arms...

...and  _hugged me?_

"No hard feelings, right?" He asked.

_What??_

It took a moment to realize what had happened as I slowly raised my arms to weakly hug him back. Just as I went to pull away from the awkward embrace. I heard his voice whispering into my ear.

**_"If you make me lose him, I'll kill you."_ **

_"As if you're actually friends with him anyway,"_ I shot back.

His grip on me got tighter.

_"Watch it, kid. He knows me better than you," he growled, "I only have him left. You take him from me and you'll regret it."_

He went to pull away after making his point, but not before I dug my nails into his sides for good measure.

"See, we're friends now, right?" Kenji asked, secretly hoping that Takaya wouldn't catch the growl he nearly let out.

_"That's what we are. Friends."_

He chuckled, clapping his hands together turning so he was able to look back and forth between Takaya and I. "How about we find a hotel we can all stay in and find something to keep us busy?"

"I'm actually really busy---"

"---I  _insist."_

I knew there was no way I would be getting out of this one, especially with the look Kenji was giving me out of the corner of his eye. Giving a reluctant sigh, I put my hands up in defeat letting out an "if you insist" through gritted teeth.

"I've wanted the two of you to meet," Takaya exclaimed.

"Oh, we've met before," I grumbled, "but not in the way you're thinking."

"Perfect! We don't have to go through the awkward phase."

_"Faith hasn't left it."_

I want to  _stab_ him.

"Oh, we can work with that!" Takaya leaped forward with a huge smile on his face, his hands darting out and finding our hands as he dragged us along with him. "C'mon! Let's go!"

I looked back over my shoulder one last time as Takaya lead us away, looking at the small group of people that I had traveled here with. Would I ever manage to sneak out of the watch of these two? Only time can tell.

_Perfect._

 

** ** **

 

"Aren't you gonna join us?"

The three of us made it back to our hotel room that Takaya and I had shared the nights prior, Kenji agreeing to take the couch if we were left to spend more time in this unfamiliar town. At the moment, Kenji and Takaya are in the process of trying to bake something, Takaya finding every little problem amusing; Kenji struggling to put on his apron, Kenji struggling to read the directions and recipe, even when Kenji accidentally slammed the bag of flour onto the counter and was hit in the face with a puff of white powder.

"No thanks, I'm good," I responded to Takaya's question.

"You sure? You've been cleaning that same kunai knife for fifteen minutes."

I looked down at the blade in my hands, my own reflection looking back thanks to its shiny surface.

_Would you look at that?_

"I wasn't paying attention."

Takaya paused with a sympathetic look in his eyes, his hands fiddling with the straps on the back of his plain white apron as he tried to come up with a solution to attempt to ease the boredom. After he was sure that his apron was guaranteed not to fall down, Takaya got an idea thanks to his current attire.

"Come and make some cookies with us!"

Behind Takaya, Kenji looked up from the box of ingredients with extreme confusion on his face. "I thought we were making brownies."

"...We've been making cookies."

. . .

_Kenji is a fucking idiot._

"Do you not know how to read?" I teased, taking my knife and putting it back into my leg pouch where it belongs.

"Bite me, I didn't look at the front." He took the box that he was previously reading the instructions from and turned it over in his hands, pausing as soon as he caught sight of the aesthetically pleasing pictures of cookies on the front.

Holding in a snort I fastened the pouch on my leg and moved to stand, taking in a deep breath. "I think I'm gonna go out and train---"

"---bad idea."

I could feel Kenji's gaze on me from the corner of my eye as I did my best to avoid it. I casually looked around for my bag of balloons, soon remembering that I had left them in my room. There wasn't much stopping me from leaving aside from his words, so I tried to seem remotely interested as I continued to move.

"Why?"

"Because we might  _need_ you here," he growled.

"You're baking  _cookies."_ I snickered as this, risking a glance down to the cheap white apron that he wore over his regular clothing, huffing in amusement at the way it seemed to hang off him. "I think you can manage."

The two of us shared a look that went unseen by Takaya.

"Trust me; with the fight that was going on earlier, it's safer for you to stay here."

"I doubt it. Like, I  _really_ doubt it."

"Actually---" Takaya finally butt in, swiveling on his heel from his place by the sink, "---I think we might be out of chocolate chips; she could run down to the store and get some!"

Kenji looked annoyed at the additional comment though Takaya wasn't able to catch it since his back was turned.

"Do they have to be the chocolate chip? Can't we just make some different dough?"

"I mean, we can." Takaya's lip puckered in a pout.

_"I'm getting chocolate chips," I stated._

At this point, Kenji knew there wasn't anything he could do to stop me from leaving the hotel; I now had a valid excuse to go out thanks to Takaya's specific needs and knowing how willing Kenji was to make sure Takaya didn't grow suspicious of his actions he couldn't fully restrict me.

How fortunate.

"I'm going with you."

_How unfortunate._

"I can buy a bag of chocolate chips on my own," I muttered.

"I'd hate for you to get lost."

Kenji could be a consistent little shit when he wanted to be and knowing that I tend to be too tired to deal with it I just gave in just so he'd shut up. He wasn't going to let up and I wasn't in the mood to argue. Enough said.

 _"If you're going you're taking that apron off."_  


 

** ** **

 

_"Where is my headband, you prick?"_

It was only a few minutes after we had left, the two of us standing just outside the hotel. Now that the two of us were no longer being watched by the optimistic ice kid there was no need to pretend we wanted anything to do with each other.

"Oh, that thing? It's somewhere. Not that it matters."

_"That headband is more useful to me than you are to Orochimaru--!"_

I was cut off before I was able to finish my sentence by being jerked suddenly thanks to him grabbing me by the collar of my shirt.

"Takaya isn't here right now so I'm not worried about beating the shit out of you."

"And that has worked out  _oh so well_ for you, hasn't it?"

He stared, icy blue eyes boring into my own. Not a word was spoken as he held me there against my will, and I was too confused to ask what he was doing. Is there something in my teeth? Is there a booger hanging from my nose? What the hell? He eventually shoved me away, his expression angry and relentless.

"What's your problem?" It was a fair question to ask considering the asshole had just handled me roughly. I made sure to smooth my shirt and rub the places that had gotten unwanted friction. "What caused you to be this way, huh? Who hurt you?"

"As if you have any right to speak; the only reason you're still alive is that Orochimaru has made you his personal  _plaything."_

"What do  _you_ know?"

He glared down at me like I was puny and pathetic, looking me up and down as if he were judging me. "From what I saw, more than enough."

"Fuck you," I grumbled, "you know nothing."

_"He made you his little lab rat, didn't he?"_

"FUCK YOU, KENJI!" I turned away from him and began to storm off, not caring if he followed me to the store or not. The fucker was already on my bad side since he's been an absolute dick since day one, but now that I was aware that he had snooped I was pissed, especially since it was  _him_ who knew.

_"And he killed them in front of you."_

_"Excuse me?"_

_"It was a few months ago too."_

"How the  _fuck_ do you know that?"

He smirked, looking me up and down with a smug appearance.

"My eyes don't only fuck your brain up." Kenji chuckled as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants, taking a swaggering step forward with a cocky grin. "Tatsuo eyes are unique to each member."

"Oh? How so?"

"Each eye magnifies the power when we're feeling certain emotions." He pulled his right hand from his pocket to reveal a coin, one which he flipped with his thumb and caught in the palm of his hand. "Mine gets stronger when I'm angry, Ani's gets stronger when he's sad, my father's gets stronger the less he cares for the target, my mothers gets stronger the more disgusted she is, you get the idea. But they each have their own abilities."

"And what's yours?"

"I can look into people's memories and use them against them; not really as good as it sounds since it's only memories that were essentially traumatic and whatnot," he rambled, "isn't that right, kiddo?"

"Fuck off." I turned to storm off from him again but he stopped me by grabbing my forearm and yanking me back.

"Not to mention that your teammates were killed during the Chunin Exams."

_"Not to mention that you slaughtered your own."_

His fingers messed with the fabric of my collar as he got quiet, his breathing growing messy and annoyed. From the look on his face, I could tell it was taking everything he had in him not to beat the living hell out of me, though the crowds of people walking on the streets with us seemed to be holding him back.

"I was planning to help you find a solution, but if you want to be that way..." He shoved me away rather harshly, eyes looking down on me like I was inferior to him.

"What could possibly help me, Kenji?" I scoffed, "they're already dead."

His eyes lit up at this, my words sparking a fire somewhere inside him. I was actually a little concerned with the look he was giving me, knowing that if he was giving me an odd look that didn't make me feel that he wanted to tear me to shreds then something was going on in that demented mind of his.

_"I'm going to find a way to revive the dead."_

"That's impossible." I caught sight of the convenience store we were looking for, my pace subconsciously quickening. "The only thing you really could do is the--"

"--Edotensei,  _but_ that would make it to where they're essentially zombies that don't stay which is the opposite of what I'm looking for."

"Then what  _are_ you looking for? They're  _DEAD."_ I swung open the door to the shop as soon as I was able to, a small bell going off to indicate we had come in. I could hear Kenji trailing after me, though I knew there wasn't much I could do to get away.

"I'm not just going to let Kyo-Sensei stay dead like that, especially when he didn't deserve it."

"He died a hero."

"He died by the hands of his own fucking brother."

"Oh?" I stopped and turned to glare at him for what felt like the umpteenth time, hand grabbing onto a nearby shelf not only to catch my balance but to stop me from wanting to beat the shit out of him. "Why would Ari lie to me?"

"Because he's already the reason his parents are dead."

"They died of old age!"

_"Damn, Ari is full of lies, isn't he?"_

"I don't trust you; you're trying to turn me against him, aren't you?"

"And what would I get out of that?"

_"My suffering. Not to mention it would turn me against a man that I know you hate."_

_"Good point."_

We wandered through the isles in search of chocolate chips, stopping every so often to look at the various products on the shelf. There were some very tempting items; I saw some honey-roasted peanuts that I really wanted that Kenji was quick to put back, an odd optical illusion toy that frustrated Kenji when he couldn't get it after nearly twenty minutes, and we both found a bag of chips that were meant to taste like fish that we were quick to throw back on the shelf once Kenji accidentally ripped it open. The whole time the two of us were meandering together I wasn't able to get one question off my mind.

"Why are you even trying to help me? Just a few minutes ago you were trying to kill me."

"Do you want the honest answer or the lie?"

 _"The honest one, you dope."_ I grabbed a bag of chocolate chips from the shelf, massaging them in my hands to feel them move back and forth.

_**"I need you to revive them."** _

I nearly dropped the bag on the floor from his statement, the serious look in his eyes only making matters worse. There's no way in  _hell_ we could bring back the dead; something like that was not only completely ridiculous but if there  _was_ a way it was sure to be mentioned  _somewhere!_

"Are you a fucking idiot, Kenji?"

"No, but  _you_ are for carelessly calling me names."

"I'm not afraid of you," I growled.

_"You should be."_

**_"I won't be."_ **

Kenji paused, then sighed as he yanked the bag of chocolate chips away from me. "Depending on what's under that headband of yours, we may be able to revive them without a problem."

I stopped at this, watching as he walked up to the counter to pay for them.

_There's no way in hell that people can be revived. Regardless of what eye I have, it's impossible._

"Are you coming? Or are you just gonna stand there?"  


** ** **

  
The sweet, intoxicating aroma of cookies filled the small living area of our hotel room as we each found a piece of furniture to sprawl across lazily. The sun was a present reminder just how much time we had left in the day, its scorching beams kept hidden behind the snow-white curtains.

"I think I need to pack my things." I sat up from my seat on the couch very slowly, a hand raising to fix the misplaced hairs on my head. "I came here with Naruto and the Toad Sage and they may be wondering where I am."

"Ah, right! I'll pack my things too," Takaya added.

Takaya and I stood at the same time, though we each faced different directions as we had different rooms. Takaya was able to make it to his room without interruption, though I was stopped by Kenji calling me back.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"I'm serious about the revival thing." He reached a hand into the pocket of his vest and revealed a slip of paper, his hand grazing mine as he indicated for me to take it. "When you get back to the village, meet me here at the time given."

I looked down to the paper to see if I recognized the address, taking a minute or so to plant it in my brain so I wouldn't forget. It took some time, but when I finally looked up I noticed something different.

_He looks so much nicer._

His hair was no longer shining with grease, his clothes seemed warm and comfortable for him as opposed to just being a waste, and his expression wasn't as hateful as I had expected. Now that he was all cleaned up and better presenting himself he didn't intimidate me quite as much. He seemed like a different person.

"I don't fully trust you," Kenji didn't look too surprised at this, "but I'll do what I can to bring them back to life."

Kenji gave what looked like a mix between a smirk and a smile, his hand dropping to check his weapon pouch as if he were preparing to leave, probably before Takaya could stop him from doing so.

"I'm doing this for  _them,_ Kenji, not  _you."_

"I figured you'd say that."

He turned after giving a forced wave, moving quickly toward the door to leave. Shortly after the door closed behind him, the bedroom door to Takaya's room opened, the pale boy looking around curiously for his friend.

"Where did he go?" He questioned, turning around slowly a couple times to see if he had simply missed him.

"He remembered he had to do something," I explained, "he'll meet up with us later."

_He'll meet up with me later._

_And boy am I anxious._


	61. Giving Back What Was Taken

By the time Takaya and I made it back to the group I had traveled here with, we learned that Tsunade has accepted the Hokage position, ready to travel back with us to accept her title.

When we first made it to the village gates, Tsunade was sure to head straight for the people who were injured. I was sure to mention Ari as one of the people who needed help, Takaya and I following her to the hospital to watch her work in awe.

When searching the hospital, Tsunade moved to relieve Sasuke and Kakashi of their torment, leaving Takaya and me to stand in the lobby as we watched her disappear down the hall.

"Let's report back to Ari-Sensei," Takaya suggested, sending a smile my way.

The two of us began to stroll down the halls as we looked for Ari's room number, the paths all looking identical and confusing if you didn't have a number to lead you in the right direction. The longer we seemed to walk, the more a single thought continued to nag at me until I spilled it to my new team member.

"Takaya," I muttered, "when we get to Ari-Sensei's room, do not mention Kenji."

"Why can't I mention Kenji?" He seemed really puzzled at this, eyebrows scrunching as he looked at me quizzically.

"Ari-Sensei and Kenji don't get along well." I had to pause both verbally and physically as I remembered the situation. Takaya had no idea that Kenji is a complete and total asshole and the last thing I need is for him to blab about us making cookies together. "He gets upset when he's mentioned, so try to avoid speaking about him."

"Of course! I don't wanna upset him!"

We reached Ari's room shortly after our brief conversation in the hall, the door opening to reveal our purple-haired teacher on the floor doing pushups, one arm used to lift and lower himself while the other was used to turn the page of his book that lay on the floor in front of him. From the looks of it, he had no idea we had even come in as he continued his outrageous display.

"Holy shit, that's a plot twist," he gasped, pausing for a brief moment, "why don't you just tell her how you feel?  _Ugh..."_

_"Yeah, you're right."_

"Of course, I'm right; they've known each other for too long and have yet to confess." He paused to look up from his book to shoot me a quick glance before he looked back down to his book to continue reading. It took him a minute or so to realize what had happened but when he did he nearly smacked his face on the floor.

 _"FAITH, HI!"_ He caught himself before any serious damage was done, lifting himself from the floor to stand as he tossed his book to the side. "I didn't expect you to be here!"

"I didn't expect you to still be in the hospital room either; I'm surprised you haven't escaped," I joked.

"Haha... Yeah..."

_He's escaped, hasn't he?_

"I see that you've met our new member." He nodded his head to indicate Takaya, giving him a kind smile after to change the subject.

"Yeah," I remarked, "he showed up by surprise, but I'm glad that he did."

"Well, that's good." Ari messed with some of the things around the room, taking his book and setting it on the table, running a finger over the petals of a vase of flowers, and even pushing aside the blankets. "Don't get too cozy though; we may be getting another one."

"Another new member? Who?"

"From what I've heard, his name is Masaki Onishi and he doesn't speak at all," Ari informed.

"Onishi? I haven't heard that name around here before."

"Most haven't," he paused to take a breath, "to be fair, I didn't before today." 

He grabbed his book from the bedside table and sat on the edge of the bed, his blankets conveniently pushed aside to give him the perfect seat. "They don't really do much around the village as you'd expect, and their son doesn't get out much."

_"That sounds familiar."_

"Huh?"

_"Nothing."_

"Either way, their son is apparently a Genin and the Hokage thought it would be good for him to join us--"

The door opened before Ari was able to finish his train of thought, Tsunade walking in with a somber expression.

"Ah! Tsunade-Sama!" I exclaimed.

"Faith; I didn't expect you to be in here," her expression didn't falter in the slightest as she closed the door behind her and sulked further into the room. With the way she was currently presenting herself, I was extremely worried about Ari's state, curious to see if she would be able to help him.

"You'll be able to help Ari-Sensei, right?"

She seemed a little surprised at first that I would ask that sort of question though it clicked in her head about why I was concerned.

"Ari? Yes, of course," she paused, "it's someone else I'm worried about." She took a step towards Ari and looked him over curiously, deciding what it is she needs to do.

"Who are you worried about, Miss Tsunade?" Takaya asked.

"Rock Lee;  _I'm worried he may never be a ninja again."_

Everything stopped.

No one in the room made even the slightest of noises, our breaths held as we took in the news. Time itself felt as if it had come to an abrupt halt.

"He... He what?"

"With the way his bones had been damaged, there's a chance he may not be capable of ninja duties, not to mention he could die in the process."

It felt like a punch to the gut.

"Is he still in his room?"

"No, he left shortly after hearing the news."

I looked at Ari almost immediately after as if looking to him for permission to leave. He gave me a quick nod and a "Go, Faith" to let me know it was okay to make a quick dash for wherever the hell he was heading.  


** ** **

"I take it that the two are close?" Tsunade asked shortly after Faith exited the room, the door slowly moving to a close.

"Very," Ari replied.

She nods in understanding and looks over Ari one more time before she peeps over to Takaya with a pleading expression. "Hey, kid, could you do me a favor?"

"Huh?"

"I left my medkit down in the lobby, can you fetch it for me?"

He gave a quick nod and a happy wave as he left the room, the older two left in silence once more.

_"Did you actually leave your bag or did you just need to talk?"_

"Both," she replied briskly.

"I know who you are." Her hand reached for the purple hair she had been eyeing curiously the whole time she was meant to be looking him over, her grasp tight as she yanked the contents of his ponytail making Ari let out a loud  _'YELP!'._ "What are you doing here?"

"I'M A NINJA!"

"They let one of  _you_ be a ninja?"

"I'VE BEEN A NINJA!"

She glared down at Ari from her higher position, her grip on his hair loosening little by little.

_"Your lungs are injured because of your jutsu, am I right?"_

A silence took over the room as they gazed at one another in silence.

_"Yeah."_

"Who did you use it on?"

"Orochimaru's people were destroying the village," he informed, "I used it as a last resort."

"That doesn't answer my question."

_"That's because I didn't want it to._

_"I regret everything that happened that day, but if you think I would harm someone that does things for the good of our village you're more than welcome to leave, Miss Hokage._

_"I've spent my whole life trying to prove myself and now I see why, but the past is in the past and I am NOT who everyone thinks I am. I don't know where that puts me now that you're Hokage, but I stand by all I've said."_  
  
  


_"Pfft...!"_

Ari looked at the older woman like she had just grown another head as she broke the silence by bursting out laughing. The hand that was once yanking on the man's ponytail was now resting on his shoulder not only to be kind but to hold herself up after a fit of giggles.

"You're an idiot, you know?"

He was growing more confused by the minute, his brows furrowed as he watched the actions of the new Hokage.

"You've got guts," she managed in between a laugh, "I like that."

_"I'm twenty-six years old," Ari drawled out, "why are you talking to me like I'm a child?"_

"Can it, buddy; I have some lungs to heal."  


** ** **

Finding Lee was harder than I imagined it to be considering he was left to walk around with crutches. Finding him seemed like a sign that I should leave him to his thoughts to give him some time alone to process what had happened. Because I had given up my search, I was left to meander aimlessly until my brain could come up with something to keep me busy before I decided to go home and sleep. Remembering the slip of paper from before, I dug around my front pants pocket until I came across the slip of paper that Kenji had given me only hours before, thankful that I was able to remember it before too late. According to that slip of paper, he wanted to meet tonight which only made me more anxious than I was before.

What if it's a setup?

The Akatsuki were after Naruto for his Biju and Orochimaru has wanted to take me back for a while.

_This doesn't seem like a good idea now._

If there was a time to drop out, now would be it.

_But what if it does work? As much as I'm not able to trust the plan OR Kenji, I need to know._

_I have to do it._  


** ** **

Tsunade was long gone from Ari's hospital room leaving the younger man to sit by himself in the chillingly calm room. He sat on the edge of his bed with his book propped open on the bed in front of him as he struggled to get his shirt over his head and read the page at the same time. After his shirt was on as it normally would be he picked up the book from the bed to read in his hand. He blindly began to reach for the white shirt that was hung over the bedside, though a sudden tap on the window almost sent the poor man into cardiac arrest. He tossed his book on the bed after marking his place and opened the window to allow a bird to hop on the window sill with a slip of paper.

_A mission? So soon?_

He closed the window after gently taking the paper, wishing the bird a good day as he looked over the note with dismay. Before he could get too far gone in its contents, there was a gentle knock on the door to his room which only added to his list of things that was sending him through a loop at the moment.

"Come in?" He announced, confusion dripping in his voice quite obviously.

The door creaked open ever so slightly after a moment or so of Ari waiting in silence, their head poking in through the small space they had created for themselves. It wasn't someone that Ari knew; the neatly parted black hair and big soulless blue eyes didn't seem like anything he'd seen around the village before and the fact that he said nothing while holding zero expression made Ari a tad uncomfortable.

"Oh, uh," Ari felt the need to initiate a conversation, "hello?"

_No response._

"Were you meaning to come in here?"

_Nothing._

"Ah, you're a genin right?" He noticed the forehead protector that the kid wore on his head, the leaf symbol barely visible beneath his parted black hair. Ari was a little preoccupied with looking at the headband that he hadn't noticed that the kid stepped forward with his hand in his pocket. When Ari saw folded slips of paper in his peripheral vision he turned his focus down to them, hesitating before accepting them. He carefully unfolded the papers and skimmed over them, a light bulb going off in his head.

"You're the new member of our team, Masaki Onishi!"

Masaki hesitated, then nodded.

"Welcome to the team, kiddo! I'm Ari Cross!" He stuck out his hand for Masaki to shake, Masaki once again hesitating before moving forward.

Team Ari is back in business.  


** ** **

The dark indigo sky complimented the shimmering stars that were scattered across the dark canvas, the pale moon providing light for me to see some form of a path in the dense growth of the forest. I was constantly on edge as I feared for the worst; the potential setup, someone stumbling upon us, the plan not working out for us in the end, you name it. The last thing I need right now is to be caught with Kenji of all people.

By the time I had arrived in the moonlit clearing, I could tell that I must have been early. There was no sight of Kenji around me and nothing seemed to indicate that someone had visited this area earlier today. I turned around to see if I had simply missed him on my way through the maze of trees but as I turned back to look at the serene clearing I saw Kenji standing but a few feet away from me. It took everything in my body not to scream.

"I was wondering if you'd actually show up," he mused, "knowing you, you probably doubt I'm telling the truth."

_How does he know?_

"That doesn't matter; tell me what you're planning."

"Well--" Kenji reached into the pocket of his vest and pulled out some folded pieces of paper, the faded pages seemingly ripped from an old book. "--I was looking through some of Orochimaru's books and I came across something about bringing people back to life, but first I need to know what's under your headband."

"And why is that?"

"Because it has to be done with a Rinnegan user. If you really are a Kakashi clone, it won't work."

I paused for a moment as I thought the situation over; here I was standing in front of one of my biggest enemies, he had papers on how to revive the dead, and he wants to see the eyeball that has caused me nothing but problems since I've gotten it. I was definitely hesitant but I knew that I had to comply if we wanted to get anywhere. Slowly, but surely, I raised my hand up to my leaf headband and tugged at it, freeing my eye beneath it. As soon as the cloth was removed I opened my eye, taking a moment or so to adjust to the light. I saw Kenji's eyes widen at this as he let out a huff, expression soon shifting back to his regular uncaring one. 

"I see why he keeps you alive."

"I didn't ask for any of this, buddy. Just tell me what to do."

I watched a smirk grace his pale lips as his cold, ice blue eyes lowered to the discolored pages held gently in his hand; his blue orbs scanned the papers for a moment or so before they moved up once again to meet my own.

"From what I've read, you need DNA from the person but it must be from the year in which they died if you want them to continue as if nothing changed; you would also need the weapon or such that killed them, though if they died of old age nothing is needed. Another problem is that we need the body."

_"Are you telling me that we have to dig them back up?!"_

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

_**"Kenji, that's illegal."** _

"So is murder but we all do that just fine."

"Clearly no one does it like you." I held my breath for a moment as Kenji glared at me, expecting him to use his jutsu and leave me out here to rot, though when he didn't move any at all and nothing in my head started to ache I was urged to take it a step further for some damn reason. "And I know just who you're planning to revive like this but I'm not reviving him first."

It looked as if Kenji was trying his hardest not to strangle me and end my pathetic existence though he managed to hold himself together fairly well. 

"I know how you are, Kenji; I'd revive Kyo and the deal would be off. If you want me to revive him, we're reviving other people too.  _Before him."_

He remained silent for a while as he let everything sink in, his hand raising to run his thumb over his pale lips as he thought it over. I was his only hope in terms of bringing back the dead, thus he was forced to come to an agreement of sorts.

"We have to agree on the person," he finally decided, "we're not bringing that asshole Takuma back first."

"But we are bringing him back. If we don't bring him back, we're not bringing back Kyo."

"Fine, but who?"

_Good question._

Now that I made it clear that Kyo isn't the first person we're bringing back to life we were posed with a new challenge: deciding who we're bringing back first. It was hard to agree on someone when one of the people assisting in the revival hated all but one of the viable options. The name of a certain person popped into my head though it seemed like the only name that I was unsure of.

"What about Senri?"

Kenji remained silent as he thought over his other options, his expression giving me the impression that he didn't have a better choice.

"Senri it is."

"Okay, since we've decided on the person we should decide on the time." I was satisfied with the choice that we had made on this one, images of Senri's innocent smile popping into my head. I didn't dwell on it too much longer since it reminded me why he was in this situation in the first place.

"There's no doubt about it," Kenji stated, "we're doing it tonight."

I watched him in stunned silence; I was expected to bring back the dead, not a week from now, not tomorrow, but  _tonight._ The same night that I had found out that something like this may be possible. Such thoughts plagued my mind as I watched his hand disappear into the dark pocket of his pants, soon retreating with a familiar headpiece in his hand.

"As soon as the lights go out in the village, we should meet in the place he was buried." As he spoke, his hand reached forward to present something to me and upon closer inspection, I noticed it was the same headband he had stolen not long ago.

"Until then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise


	62. Unexpected

I couldn't find something to pass the time until "the big moment" so I was left to meander through the village as I waited for the lights to go out for our chance to strike. I was currently hopping from rooftop to rooftop to get around quicker, mu unclothed eye scanning the buildings below in hopes of finding something to occupy me. Although I was moving fairly fast, I caught sight of a certain bowl cut standing on the balcony of one of the taller buildings and my feet skid to a stop.

Lee.

I hopped down from the roof I was on and went into the building he was in, maneuvering my way through potted plants and various furniture to get to the stairs to take me to him. By the time I had made it up the stairs, I peeked around the corner and saw that he was talking with Guy-Sensei. Not wanting to interrupt, I stayed quiet and watched them converse while putting my headband back over my eye.

_"If by one in a million chance the surgery fails, then I shall die with you! Ever since I met you, my nindo became to raise you into a great ninja. That's a promise!"_

Guy's words sent a pang of worry to tumble through me like a bowling ball rolling down a set of stairs if that set of stairs was the stairs that led up to the Eifel tower or the gates of heaven even. The idea of being able to revive the dead had seemed iffy to me ever since it was first brought up, but knowing that I could bring back the dead finally made me feel as if I had something that made me important.

That settles it.

I have to do this.

 

** ** **

 

All lights had died in the serene village, all life quieted down as the people lay their heads down to rest. Thanks to the stillness of the night, I was able to make my way to the burial grounds without getting caught. I could feel my palms sweating and my eyes darting back and forth nervously as I feared getting caught by one of the higher-ups in the village, though the thought of being able to bring back the dead kept me going, feet trembling as I made my way past the tombstone of all of the fallen as I searched for Senri's name among them.

When I found Senri's tombstone, I could already see that Kenji wasn't here yet. Making sure to remain cautious, I stepped my way over to where I could see the tombstone a little clearer than before.

_He didn't deserve this._

_We're too young to be put through things like this._

I scanned his name once more and I could feel tears filling my eyes.

_He died protecting me._

_He died protecting me from the same guy I'm working with now._

The crunch of dead leaves startled me into turning rather quickly, nearly losing my balance. Thanks to doing so, I was able to see that Kenji had finally arrived with a shovel held in one hand and the other hand in the pocket of his pants.

"You're here early," Kenji pointed out, walking closer to allow him to look from me to the tombstone only for him to quickly look away. "Let's get this over with."

"You only brought one shovel."

Kenji took the shovel and moved it so that it was pointing to the ground just in front of Senri's tombstone, using his foot to push it into the soil.

"I don't know how this is supposed to work so I'm making sure you have all of your energy for this." He scooped up some dirt and tossed it behind him, repeating the process. "You can keep watch for us, though, since this is illegal and all."

I nodded at this to show that I understood, moving to sit in a spot where I can watch him as well as see if people are coming. I sat there for quite a while just watching and waiting as he continued to dig himself further into the grave. He was getting pretty far considering he was doing it by himself, which partially soothed my nerves so I could look away from the entrance of the burial grounds and over to him instead. I could see the beads of sweat glimmering on his forehead thanks to the moonlight, taking note of his determined expression as he forced the shovel into the ground again. He stopped for a moment to wipe the sweat away with his arm as he let out a huff, giving me the opportunity to look down at the hole he's made.

"It can't be much further, can it?" I asked, stifling a yawn.

"Nah," he replied, pausing to take a deep breath thanks to his exhaustion, "it shouldn't be too long before we get him out."

"Do you need me to take over?"

"Eager, are we?" He risked a glance over in my direction though he seemed to take me more seriously when he noticed my expression, letting out a short huff as he rested the shovel against the side of the dirt wall. "I'm not weak, I can do it myself."

"I was just asking since you're leaking waterfalls and all."

He glared at me as he was in the middle of wiping his forehead again, moving to pick up the shovel once again after his break was finished. He took it and stomped it into the ground as he had been doing countless times before but doing so was stopped when the metal bit ran into something solid.

"Speak of the devil," Kenji muttered, crouching while using the shovel as support as he used his hand to swipe the dirt aside. He paused shortly after beginning to do so, his expression conveying that he was just hit with some sort of realization.

_"How are we going to get him out?"_

Good question.

"We have one of two options," I began, "we either try our best and try to find a way to lift his casket from this hole in the ground, or we have you open it while down there and bring him up with you."

"Are you  _fucking insane?!"_

"Says the guy who spent this long trying to dig him up."

He huffed in annoyance, shaking his head as he considered both of the options I had presented to him. "I'll lift up the end and hand it to you so you can pull while I push."

I gave a quick nod and watched him bend down to reach for a handle of some sort at the end of the casket. When he found one, he lifted it up with a grunt as the remaining bits of earth rolled off it. He raised it up as he could so I could grab it, though it turned out to be much heavier than I expected it to be so I was made to use both hands to heave it from the ground with the additional help from Kenji. When we were able to get it high enough from the hole, I pulled it back onto the solid earth where it would be able to rest without falling back in.

_He's in there._

Kenji was pulling himself up as I approached the casket, prying it open to see what was inside. The moment the lid was lifted I was able to see just what I was looking for the urge to break down ever present.

He looked the exact same as he had when I last saw him alive; his curly brown hair was neat and clean, he wasn't covered in that dreaded crimson color that I had come to absolutely abhor, and his clothes, a nice fitting tux, was neat and kept together despite the situation he found himself in.

He looked like he was sleeping.

I could hear Kenji approaching from behind me, his footsteps light but slow as if he was hesitant to look for himself. I caught him muttering a very displeased  _"fuck"_ as I moved to look at something other than the dead boy before me.

"Open the lower half," Kenji drawled out.

I hesitated at his request, taking in a large gulp of air before moving to the lower end of the casket to open it up. The two of us stopped to get another look at him after I had done this, Kenji soon making the first move to reach in to lift Senri in his arms to lay him gently on the ground.

"Okay, now we need... DNA? Wasn't it?"

"Two birds with one stone." Kenji reached into the pouch on his leg until he got a grasp on what he was looking for, pulling out a dirtied kunai knife that I didn't think was possible for me to hate so much. My mind was blank while watching him hold it as if it were nothing to him.

The same knife he used to kill Senri in the first place.

He paid me no mind as he reached into one of his vest pockets to retrieve the papers he had ripped from one of Orochimaru's old books, taking the time to skim over its contents while bending down to place the kunai on Senri's chest.

"There are some weird words here that I'm assuming you have to read off," he started, reaching over to hand me the pages. "Start reading whenever you're ready. Just concentrate."

I looked down at the folded pages with a squinted eye, my hand subconsciously raising to remove my headband to soon begin the process. He wasn't lying when he mentioned that the words were odd, but they looked manageable to fake. I gave Kenji one last look of concern once my eye was freed, taking a deep breath as I lowered myself to my knees, placed the paper on the ground before me, and held my hands over the body of the innocent boy.

 

_**"Pariet, qui cecidit** _   
_**Sit corpus suum ortum ex terra** _   
_**Sit lux luceat in oculis eorum semel** _   
_**Donec non sunt plena vita et cor** _   
_**Reditum eos ad priorem statum, ita ut habeant a secundo casu** _   
_**Revertere, fili,** _   
_**Ortum ex tua gravi** _   
_**Redire ad mundum viventiu!"** _

 

As soon as I was finished with reading the words from the page, I was able to watch an odd white glow begin to fade from my hands as I was hit with waves of unbearable pain. What really caught my attention was a sudden jolt from Senri's body, my hands reacting almost instantly as I jerked them back in fear.

Nothing.

I let out a sigh, waves of nausea and lightheadedness deciding to take its toll on my body; I was finally aware of the blood that was dripping down my nose, the pounding headache, and a strong urge to either vomit or pass out, one or the other. I moved to raise out of my kneeling position with one last look at the face I had failed to save.

His eyes opened.

It happened so suddenly that I was sure that I imagined it, but the sound of Kenji stepping forward only to stop let me know that I wasn't going insane. I took a fearful step back the moment I put two and two together, my legs giving way as I fell backward onto the ground behind me.

_His eyes were pure white._

The need to vomit was very present now, my own eyes watching the pure white ones do nothing but gaze blankly up at the night sky. There was no kind of movement to indicate that Senri was now alive and well, only his zombie-like eyes.

"S-Senri...?"

My voice nearly cut out as I attempted to get his name past my lips, my eyes finally shifting to Kenji as I watched him step closer to get a better look; he was perfectly aware that the boy before him didn't end up quite as well as he had hoped, his gaze shifting cautiously around the burial grounds to ensure the area was clear.

"Can you carry him?" Kenji asked suddenly.

"What?"

"Can you?"

It took everything I had in me not to do one of three things: vomit, scream, or blackout. The fact that I was not only shaken up but in  _terrible_ shape was completely horrific, but I was sure to let him know that I intended to try.

"I guess I can try."

He finally seemed to notice the condition I was in, small curses slipping from under his breath and falling on my opened ears; he made a shadow clone of himself that seemed to be made to stay behind to fix the mess we had dug ourselves into as he picked Senri up, slung him over his left shoulder, and used his right shoulder to help support me after standing up.

"We have to get out of here," he rushed out, almost yanking me closer to him for what seemed like protection, "so you can either keep up on my shoulder or go on your own. Either way, you're going to need to be fast."

I swiped at my bleeding nose and gave him a quick nod. "I think I can manage running on my own."

"Meet me at your place." He nodded back while repositioning Senri in his arms, turning to dash away.

"How do you know where I live?"

Kenji paused to turn back and give me a look that was a mix of annoyance and disappointment. "We just tried to bring the dead back and  _that's_ your question?"

Good point.

The two of us began to fly off, keeping a careful watch of our surroundings to make sure we weren't being chased or something of the sort. I was having a hard time seeing with my right eye so I was forced to look around with my left eye opened to stop me from crashing into someone's roof. By the time I got to my house, Kenji was standing on the porch in the shadows, the two of us locking eyes as I landed in my front yard. I jogged up to the door and swung it open after fumbling with my lock and key, Kenji almost instantly moving past me to sit Senri on the couch. With the way he sat him on the couch, his head rested on the arm and his legs stretched out over the seats, he looked like he was just relaxing.

"Are you sure he's alive?"

We both hesitated at my question since neither of us really knew the answer; his eyes were the same pale white color they had been the moment they first opened tonight and with the unsurprising lack of real movement, the two of us were forced to draw a blank. Kenji was the first to take initiative, thankfully, taking the moment to lean forward with his fingers extended to check for a pulse. He placed his cold, pale fingers on Senri's neck, his eyes widening almost fearfully.

_"I... He has a pulse..."_

"So," I struggled to find the right words to say, "He's... alive right now?!"

"I don't  _know!"_ He waved his hand in front of Senri's face to see if he could get some kind of reaction only for nothing to happen.

"What do we do?! If he isn't dead then what are we supposed to do with him?!"

"We can't have him this way." Kenji looked ready to pull his hair out, his hands already running through his hair like some sort of stress reliever. "We have to put him back before someone notices."

I could only stare at him in pure terror, the blood in my veins running cold. There was no way in hell that he was actually considering something along the lines of putting him  _back,_ especially after he found a pulse to confirm he was somehow alive.

"You want to put him back?!"

"We don't have much of a choice!" He retorted.

"So, what, we're just gonna kill him?!" My voice couldn't help but crack at the end of my sentence, my eyes refusing to look in Senri's direction. My blood was simultaneously frozen and boiling with what was happening, my filter no longer in place. "Leave it to you to want to kill him twice!"

_"Excuse me?"_

"You have the kunai knife, don't you?! Do it! Kill him again!  _Since it was so **easy** the first time!"_

Kenji's face contorted to match his bewilderment, his right hand trembling. I was certain he was about to take out the knife and use it on me instead, though his brows furrowed and his lips dropped into a frown as he reached into his pouch with a newfound confidence. He took out that damned blade of his and turned to face Senri, raising the knife to do it once again.

Senri Etsuko would die once more.

 

** ** **

 

The knife in his hands was held with a newfound confidence, his body turning to face the lifeless shell that contained his old team member. Kenji peered into the blank white eyes of his old comrade and readied to move the blade to plunge it into his chest once again.

_"Kenji..."_

Kenji's eyes widened in fear at the sound, the voice not sounding like Faith's voice that he knew quite well thanks to this night. This voice was more  _familiar_ to him, something he had heard far more often than Faith's own; it was quiet, almost too quiet, though gentle and soothing to listen to despite the pang of fear coursing through his body. He risked a glance back to the eyes of his fallen teammate, his breath caught in his throat.

The eyes that were once lifeless and a pale white were now a bright blue in color, looking back up to him to meet his gaze. His lips were turned up into a smile, much to Kenji's confusion, his expression kind once again as it should be.

_"Kenji..."_

Kenji's brows furrowed in confusion, his eyes hoping to urge Senri to continue.

**_"Please don't kill me!"_ **

Senri's voice, once so soft and pleasant on the ear, was now howling at him as he was racked with sobs. His eyes were pouring tears profusely, crying as if his life depended on it.

_"Kenji, please!"_

Kenji's hands began to tremble furiously, his breathing shaky and his heart racing.

_"He's not alive," Kenji said, "he's not alive."_

_He's not alive._

_He's not alive._

_He's not alive._

_He's not alive._

_HE'S NOT ALIVE!_

"I CAN'T!" The blade in his hands fell, tears streaming down his face. The blade harmlessly fell on the boy's chest as Kenji continued to sob, his throat going raw from his shouting.  ** _"I CAN'T!_**

_"SENRI, I'M SORRY! PLEASE!" His hands moved to Senri's shoulders to shake him like a child would when trying to wake a parent, though the intensity was much more aggressive. "SENRI?! **SENRI!!!"**_

The sound of fists pounding on the door to Faith's home got the attention of the two; there was no doubt in their minds that they had come across the burial site they had left in the hands of a clone, and now they had come to see what had happened. Faith looked to Senri's pale white gaze with concern, especially thanks to Kenji's reaction to seeing them only moments prior.

What happened?

Kenji was distracted by the sound of the door, his body tensing up as he stared at the door with fear evident in his pale blue gaze. Faith was the one to snap out of it first, roughly grabbing Kenji by the shoulder to spin him around.

"Go!" She urged, "out the back!"

"What about Se--?!"

_"Go!"_

In a flash, Kenji disappeared almost immediately, just in time since the door swung open thanks to the force of one of the jonin pushing it open. The door nearly broke off its hinges thanks to the strength that Ari had used to open it, revealing both him and Kakashi in the doorway.

"Faith!" Ari exclaimed with a frantic expression, "what the hell is happening?!"

Faith's mouth opened as she tried to form words, her mind drawing a blank; there wasn't much that she could say to defend herself considering there was a body of someone who was presumed dead lying on her couch, a headband hanging from her pocket thanks to her using her eye, blood caking the area below her nose, and a million thoughts running through her head. She went to speak, but the words were caught in her throat as she heard a soft, familiar voice.

**_"Faith?"_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Senri's birthday today! What a fitting day to bring him back to life, no?~


	63. In Loving Memory

I could feel my blood run cold the moment I heard my name be uttered in a gentle tone,  the voice questioning and confused; I wasn't expecting Senri to have gained the ability to speak so suddenly so I nearly lost my shit when I turned to see him sitting up and looking back at me, his eyes finally the bright blue that everyone had come to know and love.   
  
"S--?!"   
  
"--SENRI?!"   
  
Ari was quicker than I was to see what was happening as well as voicing it, Kakashi a little behind him and stunned into silence thanks to such. I knew that I had a shit ton of explaining to do thanks to the expressions on their faces, though my mouth continued to spew nothing but nonsense as Senri proceeded to look around.   
  
"Where am I?" He questioned, his brows furrowed and confused.   
  
"You're in Faith's home." Kakashi took a step forward so he was standing at Ari's side, his coal black eye boring into Senri's own. "Do you remember anything?"   
  
"I remember getting ice cream with Faith and... looking for Akyra?" Senri paused at this, his eyebrows furrowing even more as he struggled to recall what he could. He seemed to grow panicked after a moment, looking between the three of us frantically. "DID I PASS OUT?! DID YOU HAVE TO CARRY ME HERE?! I'M SO SORRY! I--!"   
  
"--Senri," I interrupted,  _ "you  _ **_died."_ ** ****  
  
I could see the color drain from his face at this; before, he seemed so ready to hop up off the couch at any moment in a blind panic, though now his body had completely stilled and his blue eyes were locked on me.   
  
"I... I... Huh...? Wh--?"   
  
"--Do you remember what happened?" I asked calmly, a little hesitant since I was afraid to approach him. He looked shaken up though, leading me to bite my tongue and place my hands on his shoulders comfortingly anyway.   
  
"I... We were looking for Akyra... and we went into the forest. There were so many trees... Uh..." He started messing with the hem of his shirt, his fingers fiddling for something to keep his hands occupied. "I-I just don't remember, I'm sorry..."   
  
"Take your time, kiddo; we can talk about this later, okay?" Ari soothed Senri the best he could, though it was hard to do considering the circumstances. He was going to say something else until Kakashi leaned in to whisper in his ear; he hesitated for a moment at what he was told though he soon complied and nod his head in response. "Okay, Senri, I'm gonna take you to the Hokage so we can get you looked over and Faith is gonna talk with Kakashi, okay?"   
  
Senri agreed with what Ari said, nodding and sliding off the couch to take Ari's outstretched hand as he gave a nervous smile in response to Ari's own warm and welcoming one. As soon as the pair turned and left, Kakashi almost immediately closed the door after them and gave me a very serious look.   
  
_ "What happened?" he demanded, "why is he alive?" _   
  
"I... I don't... He wasn't..."   
  
"Faith.  _ What happened?" _ __   
  
I refused to meet his gaze, my hands fumbling as I tried to retrieve the papers from before. I nearly dropped them in the process as I went to hand them to him, though I finally got a grip on the papers and my nerves and passed them over to a confused Kakashi. I glanced up to see his eye scanning the papers with a mix of confusion and disbelief which only filled me with more anxiety.   
  
"Where did you get this?" he asked, his tone stern.   
  
"I..."   
  
He sighed, frustration evident in the way he was currently presenting himself; his posture was straightened suddenly, one of his hands raised to massage his eyes, and his breathing was irregular as if he was struggling to contain himself.   
  
"Faith, what you did isn't  _ allowed. _ From what I've read, I can tell this was something that was not meant to be used," he skimmed over the paper before raising his eye to meet my own, "not to mention it says that it requires a Rinnegan user."   
  
"I know what it says."   
  
At this point, I want to rip my eyeballs out and collapse in on myself in hopes that I just cease to exist. With the look he was giving me, I knew that no matter what came out of my mouth I'd almost instantly regret it.   
  
"Faith,  _ where did you get a Rinnegan user?" _   
  
I could feel my breath hitch in my throat at his question, knowing now that the hole I had dug myself into was far too deep to crawl out of now.   
  
__ "Me," I whispered, "I'm the Rinnegan user."   
  
He paused for a moment as if he were putting two and two together, looking at my closed eye. "You aren't wearing your headband..."   
  
"I understand that what I have done may be wrong and unacceptable, but I don't regret doing it." I took my headband from my pocket, getting it and tying it up where it belongs. "I've done something almost unheard of and I may have found something worthwhile, something that makes me valuable.   
  
"I remember what I read on there for the most part. If you plan to arrest me, you're free to do so, but I will not promise that it won't happen again."   
  
Kakashi sighed again after my monolog, locking eyes with me for a moment or so before realizing that trying to stop me may be hopeless. Considering that what I did wasn't negative in any way, shape, or form, there wasn't much reason to punish me, though he knew that he has to report it regardless.    
  
"I see," he muttered, "I can't promise that things will be perfect, but what I can say is that I wish you the best."   
  
"That's all I ask for."

  
  
  
  
** ** **   
  
  
  


The dim light from the small desk lamp flickered in the dark room, illuminating the stacks of papers on the old desk; no matter where you looked at the little writing space there was a stack of papers just waiting for attention, some partially finished and some that he hadn't even bothered to look at. His pen moved across the page with haste, his mind racing just as his writing utensil is.   
  
_ You should have been a better brother. _   
  
The same haunting thought had come back to terrorize Ani in the dead of night, his pen dropping from his trembling hand to massage his face, just in time to stop the tears from ruining his work. His fingers clawed at the side of his face as he struggled to remain calm, his breathing ragged and uneven.   
  
_ It's true. _   
  
He pushed his chair away from his desk to give him room to slump over, both of his hands raising to mask his face as he continued to claw at his scalp.   
  
_ I should have done more for him. _   
  
He finally gave in, tears rolling down his pale cheeks as he sobbed softly, his body trembling in its current state.   
  
_ Words words words. _   
  
His sobbing appeared to have ceased as he lifts his head, his deep blue eyes now red and puffy behind his now crooked glasses. He felt his stability slowly slipping between his fingers as if it were water, his fear rising and his control fading into nothing. Nothing terrified Ani more than no longer being in control of what was happening to his mind, his thoughts scattered and the voices drowning out his own.   
  
_ Words mean nothing, Ani. _   
  
Ani jolted up from his chair in a rage, his hands mindlessly grabbing at the things on his desk as he slings them off blindly, the small lamp crashing to the floor and leaving him in pitch black nothingness. His breathing is shaky and heavy now, his feet dragging against the carpet as he backed away from the mess he's made.   
  
_ Words can't help him, Ani. _   
  
The heel of his foot made contact with the side of his bed, his balance robbed from him as he fell back onto his bottom. The suddenness of his tripping alone sent him into another state of panic, his heart picking up in his chest as fear made its way through his veins. He was visibly trembling as he kicked his feet against the floor to help him back up to the wall to give him some form of support, physically or mentally.   
  
_ You don't deserve him, Ani. _   
  
His hands raised almost immediately to cover his ears to hopefully block out the voice ringing loud in his brain, his knees bending and coming forward towards his chest to curl into a ball.   
  
_ Ani. _   
  
He could barely hear this voice over the sound of his own sobs racking his body, this voice softer and kinder than the ones before.   
  
_ Ani. _   
  
He swallowed the growing lump in his throat, stifling his sobs to listen to the voice inside his head.   
  
_ You can do it. _   
  
His hands slowly began to lower at the sound.   
  
_ You've got to get up, Ani. _   
  
His hands dropped weakly to the floor.   
  
_ You can do it. _   
  
He leaned his back to rest against the wall, his eyes closing to provide a sense of comfort in these stressful times.   
  
_ You need to go after your brother. _   
  
_ He doesn't just need you. _   
__   
_ You need him too. _   
  
Ani took what little energy he possessed to sit up straight and away from the wall. His posture nearly slackened once upright but he strengthened it to ready himself for lifting his body from the floor.   
  
_ You can do it, Ani. _   
  
He grabbed the edge of his bed roughly as he forced himself to his shaky feet, his legs trembling as he stood. He was filled with a new sense of determination, a willingness to right the wrongs he's done to his little brother so he can ease the pain he's caused. Kenji tried his best as the two were growing up, always being left behind in Ani's shadow. Kenji hadn't done a damn thing wrong and yet he was treated like nothing.   
  
_ One foot in front of the other. _   
  
Ani flung his bedroom door open mindlessly, ignoring his parents' concerned calls as he made his way for the front door. He had a self-assigned mission, a mission he should have completed years ago before everything was able to roll downhill, his mind set and his body made to comply.   
  
"Ani?" Chihiro's voice rang out through the living room, her pale fingers flipping on the light to reveal her child hastily putting on his coat.   
  
"What are you doing, son?" Keita asked, watching Ani slide his arms into his coat.    
  
"What you've refused to do for the past thirteen years."   
  
Ani felt a burning in his chest at the way they spoke, his mind already sending him through a terrifying loop; he felt his mind and body alike spiraling out of his control as is, his thoughts and actions no longer his own as he acted like someone else. There was nothing that could stop him from speaking about what he'd wanted to say for years now, the courage coursing through his veins as he stepped outside and slammed the door behind him.   
  
__ I believe in you.

  
  
  
** ** **   
  
  
  


Kenji was racing through the trees to distance himself from Faith's home, his heart pounding in his chest and his breath hitched. He knew that freaking out probably wasn't the best option considering the circumstances, his eyes dry now as he made his way through the maze of trees. His feet stirred up dirt the more he ran, his head turning to see if he was being chased by someone. By the time he turned back around to help him see where he was going, he bumped into someone at full speed. The figure stopped him from falling, thankfully, but the fear made him jerk away almost immediately.   
  
His brother.   
  
"A-Ani?!" His icy blue eyes widened in a mix of surprise and terror at the sight of his elder sibling, his dark brows furrowing. "What are you--?!"   
  
"--You've managed to master the scroll, haven't you?" Ani's deep blue eyes bore into Kenji's own, watching as he backed away from him. Ani fell silent at this, watching and waiting before speaking again. "I'm asking, but I know the answer..."   
  
Kenji was, without a doubt, confused out of his mind, his body trembling slightly at the sight; Ani was chuckling at his own statement though it held a hint of sadness to it. Kenji knew that his brother used to be a member of the ANBU, and the fact that he had shown up almost immediately after attempting to revive his dead teammate made Kenji worry that his own brother was going to turn him in.   
  
"Please tell me something," Ani interrupted his thoughts, his smile fading.   
  
"What?"   
  
"Are you happy, Kenji? Are you happy where you are right now? Please tell me, Kenji.  _ Tell me that you're okay." _ His voice cracked before he finished his sentence, his eyes focused on Kenji's own. Kenji shifted uncomfortably at this, but he didn't look away. "Is there anything that I can do? Anything at all?"   
  
Kenji was bewildered; Ani was always the older brother that he had looked up to, Ani being the reason he moved to better himself. Ani had always held himself together in front of his family even after coming back from a particularly gruesome mission, a warm smile on his face as he told them how much he missed them. He never revealed much about how he actually felt, any tears spilled were behind closed doors and his head turned away if his smile were to fade. Ani was so damn strong in his eyes, so why was he falling apart before his very eyes?   
  
"I can't live with the thought that I've failed you as a brother. I can't live with myself knowing that I've let you down. So please, if there's anything I can do for you, let me know. If you want me to run away with you and become a criminal, so be it. If you want nothing more than for me to drop dead at your feet  _ right now, _ I'll do it." Right as he said this, Ani reached into the pouch on his leg to pull out a kunai knife, Kenji watching him with fear in his eyes. It was at this point that Kenji noticed that Ani was crying, the kunai moving to be pointing at his throat. Ani swallowed hard, his eyes that are usually so sad and kind now determined to do right.   
  
"I want you to be happy," Ani stated, "no matter the costs."   
  
Kenji grew antsy at the sight of the blade, an urge to change the subject present on his mind. "How did you find me?"   
  
"I'm ex-ANBU, Kenji," Ani's gaze softened as he smiled faintly, "there are some things that you just can't forget."   
  
Kenji's blood was simultaneously boiling and completely frozen, his mind questioning what else he may have forgotten. Making up his mind on the spot, Kenji reluctantly held out his hand for his brother. Ani glanced down at it, his own slowly lowering to drop the weapon in his sibling's hand. Kenji's expression turned cold as he held the blade in his hand, moving it so he could use it as he glared at his brother with regret.   
  
"You don't need the kind of life I have, Ani."   
  
Ani's eyes widened at Kenji's words at first, though after putting two and two together he nods in understanding. "Please, make it quick. That is all I ask."   
  
Kenji took one last look at the small blade in his hand, his mind set. His choice had been made. Thanks to such, he repositioned the knife in his hand as one would use it, his feet pulling him towards his brother. Ani stilled, watching his younger brother edging closer and closer with the tip of the blade pointing at him, its gleaming surface catching the light of the moon for a fraction of a second. He squints his eyes at this, risking a glance up to his brother before closing his eyes and accepting his fate.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Nothing.   
  
His eyes opened after a minute or two of waiting in silence, his ears catching the sound of his kunai knife sliding back into his pouch of weapons, an arm loosely wrapped around him. Shortly after the blade clinked with the others, a second arm wrapped around him and pulled him into a tight hug that Ani didn't know he needed.   
  
"You don't need the kind of life I have, Ani. You need something  _ better." _ Kenji dug his face into Ani's chest, relishing in the scent he had grown up with. Ani was hesitant at first as he took in what was happening, his arms coming up to hug his brother back comfortingly.   
  
"You asked what I want, didn't you? I want you to get help for yourself. I want you to be able to relax. Please, for me, get help." Kenji finally let him go so he could look his brother in the eyes. "I'm okay, Ani. I promise."   
  
Hearing his brother say that he's okay moved Ani to tears, his mind calmed at his brother's words. "That's all I ask."   
  
"I'll be back, I promise," Kenji said, smiling properly for the first time in a while.   
  
"I look forward to it."   
  
Kenji took one last minute looking up at his brother before turning away from him, leaving Ani behind with a satisfied smile on his face.   
  
_ You did it, Ani. _ __   
_   
_ __ You did something right.

 


	64. Disagreements

Although I was seemingly “off the hook” from being forced into some kind of jail cell for bringing back the dead, Kakashi still leads me down to the Hokage’s office to talk about what had taken place. At first, I was just going to stay at home and finally catch up on some sleep but I decided that going with Kakashi and sorting everything out would probably be my best bet.

By the time we reached the office, Senri and Ari had already made themselves comfortable in the little area as they chatted with Tsunade about what happened, her expression confused and astounded at the same time. I was nervous with the way she was looking back and forth between Senri and me shortly after I strolled in with Kakashi, my knees locking up and keeping me from making it over to a chair to rest for a moment. The words that needed to be said were caught in my throat as I hung around awkwardly by Kakashi’s side, my mind drawing a blank considering I did just revive the dead and all. In fact, that  _ dead person  _ was currently looking around the room with difficulty as if trying to piece everything back together on his own.

“Faith, hello,” Tsunade spoke.

“Hey…” If there were ever a good time for anxiety to kick in, now would be the time. I started to worry that I was in trouble for what I had done and there wasn’t anything I could to help me calm down and ease my rapidly beating heart. I began to subconsciously fidget with my fingers as I stared at them with forced interest so I wouldn’t be made to look her in the eyes, my breath struggling to return to my lungs. “Are you going to… you know… punish me or something for this…?”

Tsunade was silent for a short moment of time, though my racing mind told me it had lasted an eternity before she had spoken again. “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do, honestly.”

I finally risked a glance to the older woman only to see how much stress she looked to be crushed under as the toll on her body was becoming evident; she looks exhausted with dark bags under her eyes and her posture is uncomfortable with the way she continues to slouch as not to force herself to an uncomfortable sitting position though still managing to be above the desk so she doesn’t drift into unconsciousness.

“What you did was something you probably shouldn’t have, but it isn’t really bad?” She sighs and rubs a hand over her face, the words having a hard time doing what she wants them to. “I’m not sure how I’m meant to handle this; do I tell you not to do it again? What do I do?”

“I’m not sure there’s much you can do.”

I looked to Kakashi gratefully, thankful for his input on the matter. I was trying to breathe like a normal human being as I stood at his side, worried that if I didn’t find a way to function that I would drop to the ground like a fool with a purple face. It was the last thing that I wanted, but Kakashi speaking up as if to defend me helped to soothe my aching nerves even if only slightly.

“I suppose you’re right, Kakashi, there isn’t anything I can do.” Tsunade paused for a moment before a smile broke free on her face, her head lowering to rest her chin on her open palm. “As for what I can  _ say,”  _ she glances over to the small, anxious genin that’s sitting over to the side that’s currently looking between her and Ari, “you did good.” 

I could feel a large weight being lifted from my shoulders at her words, a breath let out that I wasn’t aware I was holding in. The fact that I had gone and brought the dead back to life was something that not only felt completely unreal, but it also made me aware of the consequences that I should prepare for. Hell, it’s not often that someone who is confirmed dead suddenly takes another breath and continues on! What would happen to me because of this? Would I be punished for doing the right thing? Or would I be a tool to carry out everyone’s deeds?

“I just… I’m not sure how to put this,” I began, trying to relax, “ is this okay? For me to do? Is this bad?

“You’ve found a way to bring back the dead, Faith; how good or bad it turns out to be is up to you,” Ari replied to my concerns, sending a happy smile my way for encouragement that I shyly returned. He moved forward and gave Senri a comforting slap on the back as he turned toward the door, breathing a sigh of relief. 

“Tonight nearly gave me a heart attack but thankfully it ended well,” he said, giving a wink, “though, I guess if that happened I’d still have a way to come back.”

Senri smiled at the comment at first, but the more he thought about his current situation the more doubtful he became. I was watching the expression shifting on his face, the soft smile on his face turning into more of a concerned frown. “So, do things go back to normal? Do I go back to working with my team?”

No one said a word. Ari, Kakashi, and I all looked around the room at one another as if asking the other what to say, though Tsunade’s brows were furrowed as she tried to think of what to say. Honestly, Tsunade hasn’t been here since all of the chaos first started, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she had no idea of what has happened to not only his two classmates but to his cell leader as well. Eventually, Ari found the courage to speak up and say something, though it wasn’t quite what any of us were hoping for.

“I… uh… I don’t think so, buddy.”

Senri’s own brows furrowed at this, his gaze shifting to meet Ari’s own. Although Ari was the one to speak up first, he wasn’t able to look back into Senri’s eyes. “Did something happen? What am I missing?”

Everyone in the room seemed to hesitate again which only made Senri appear more frantic. Rather than let Senri begin to freak out thanks to the unknown, Kakashi decided to be the brave one to speak up about all that has happened since Senri has been dead.

“There isn’t really an easy way to say this,” Kakashi started, his dark orb meeting Senri’s own bright blue ones, “right now,  _ you’re the only member of your team here, Senri.” _

Senri’s face contorted into that of silent horror once the puzzle piece clicked together in his mind; to think that he was so young to have died in the first place was horrible on its own, but knowing that none of his team was able to escape death’s cold hands was enough to upset him greatly. He could remember being in the forest on that dark night, his hand cold from the ice cream he had been holding. He could remember peeking around the trees to see Kenji talking with Akyra as if he were upset, though something about it seemed off. He could remember jumping out in front of her, arms open wide to shield her from any harm that might be sent her way. He could remember comforting Kenji just before the blade was stabbed into his chest. 

“That day… T-The day I died… What happened? After I died, I mean?”

“After you told me to stay hidden, Kenji… y’know… he also…” I butt in before anyone else had the chance to, telling Senri what I had seen firsthand. 

“S-So is… Akyra…? And Kenji…?” Senri’s eyes saddened at the thought of what has happened to his team, tears forming in his eyes. It was heartbreaking to see him in such a state but there wasn’t much we could do to help him out, my instincts making me want to go over and comfort him in his time of need.

“Kenji has gone rogue and hasn’t been seen in a while,” Ari finally spoke, my own gaze doing its best to avoid his own when he glanced around the room, “though we do know that he’s not exactly a good guy anymore.”

_ “And Kyo-Sensei?” _

Ari’s mouth opened as if he were meaning to say something, though as time went on he continued to stay firmly in place. He looked as if he had tensed up suddenly at the thought of what had happened to his brother, though Kakashi was ready to speak for him once again. 

“Kyo is also… gone.”

Senri took a moment to let everything sink in, his mind already fairly confused considering he had been dead only hours before. Now that he had been revived from the dead, he was sitting in the office of a brand new Hokage only to find out that his Sensei and Akyra are dead and that Kenji has run off and become a criminal. For one night, Senri wasn’t sure he would be able to handle all of this information at once, though there’s not much that he can do.

“Well. being a member of a cell is the least of your concern right now; what you need is to be taken home and given time to get comfortable.” Tsunade shifted in her desk chair as she spoke, leaning back against her chair as if she were stretching her back to prepare for a long night of work. “I want you to relax for now. You’ve just been brought back from the dead! You have family here, don’t you? Go to them and take time off.”

Senri nods his head in response to what Tsunade said, seeming a little down in the dumps with his slight frown. Clearly, whatever had happened while he was dead was a rather long story to share among the five of them though he couldn’t get the burning question off his mind. He remembers being in the forest in front of Kenji before he had died, and he could only assume that Akyra was killed shortly after. Kenji ran away and became a criminal after that, right? It only made sense for that to go together, but where does that put Kyo-Sensei?

“I understand how Akyra and Kenji are… y-y’know… but… what happened to Kyo-Sensei?” His faced mirrored that of obvious confusion at this, his eyes moving to Ari as if he were directing the question to him. “He’s your brother, right? You know what happened to him, don’t you?”

Ari was put on the spot about his brother again and I could tell from the look on his face that he didn’t like it one bit; his eyes were widened almost as if he were a deer caught in headlights that was unable to get away from its impending doom. In fact, I thought I could see his hand trembling ever so slightly out of the corner of my eye as if he were on the brink of panic, though I didn’t want to point it out in case it made things worse.

“D-Do I…? I… Kyo is…”

“Hey, Senri, we can talk about this later, okay? Right now isn’t the time.” Interrupting Ari seemed like the best thing to do to get him out of his situation; knowing how it seemed to be affecting him at the moment, stopping him before his mind and body just completely shut down was the only option. Thankfully, Senri seemed to put two and two together as he realized how much of a touchy subject it is.

“Right…” Senri stood from his seat in front of Tsunade’s desk and walked towards the door with his head ducked down in embarrassment, Kakashi giving him a nice pat on the shoulder as he offered to walk him home. He obliged, nodding his head slowly as the two exited the room and left the remaining three of us in an uneasy silence.

I looked at the other two that were in the room with me; Tsunade has already turned back to the stacks of papers on her desk to get a headstart on her work and Ari hung around for only a moment or so before turning to leave. Looking at my two options, I decided that following my Sensei would be the best option for me, that way I could just walk home if we didn’t strike up some kind of conversation. Even though I was full of fear only moments prior, I jogged to catch up with him and tried to match his slow pace.

“So, Sensei,” I could feel his eyes on me as I addressed him, my own gaze coming to meet his own once I gathered my thoughts, “are you feeling better?”

He blinked a few times as he tried to think about what I might have been referring to, though he remembered the hospital stay and the injuries that he had received. “Never better, kiddo; Lady Tsunade fixed me up so that I’m in tip-top shape.”

I paused for a moment as I stared at his kind smile; my head was in many places in this night alone and my brain was yelling for me to ask him about Kyo, though my own anxiety made me fear what would happen if I chose to do so, not to mention that the only reason I doubt him in the first place is thanks to Kenji. Before I got the chance to ask him about it, he spoke up about something else.

“Faith, how did you do it?” He saw that I was confused by what he had meant and it pushed him to keep talking. “How in the ever-loving  _ fuck  _ did you manage to bring back the dead?”

It took everything that I had in my not to choke on what little spit I had in my mouth with the way his tone had suddenly shifted; it would be an understatement to say that I was surprised with what he had said, especially considering I wasn’t expecting something like that to come from  _ his  _ mouth. I looked at his face to see his brows furrowed and his mouth ajar as he struggles to find words; his expression isn’t kind and playful any longer and he looks like he’s serious.

That terrifies me.

“I was too dumbfounded to really question it before, but now I just can’t seem to wrap my head around what the hell just happened; Senri, the same kid that was murdered by Kenji Tatsuo, the same kid that got you framed, the same kid who we all watched get  _ buried six feet beneath us,  _ is the same kid who just came back to life as if nothing happened. So, Faith, I want to know what the  _ fuck  _ you did to breathe life into someone who was already dead and gone.”

I could feel the air leave my lungs at his tone, my body trembling ever so slightly from the way he spoke as well as my body having tensed up subconsciously from the conversation; hearing him speak to me like this for the first time in my life was enough to make me want to cave inward or move out of the village and live like a weary traveler that didn’t have an actual home to return to. I guess he could see that from the expression on my face, so he took a deep breath and sighed in frustration.

“Kid, you mean the world to me, okay? I just hate thinking that you’re keeping secrets from me when all I want to do is help you out.”

“I’m sorry,” I had to bite my tongue to stop me from asking about Kyo, but I managed to do so with some difficulty. Apparently, my so-called “apology” wasn’t a very good one as I watched him stop in the middle of the hall to face me.

“I don’t think that “sorry” is cutting it anymore, kid.”

“Well, some things aren’t meant to be shared, Sensei.”

“Oh, that’s a load of shit and you know it.”

The two of us were very clearly butting heads with one another in the hallway, a small part of my mind growing a little worried that someone would overhear our little dispute, though the bigger part was telling me that it didn’t matter what happened because I’m too angry to care in the heat of the moment.

“Okay, maybe I don’t  _ want  _ to tell you,” I mumbled, turning away from him.

“Faith, why don’t you trust me?” Ari asked, his voice raising the more he continued on with this frustrating conversation. 

_ “That’s funny because I was gonna ask you the same thing.” _

The two of us had come to a standstill while the two of us looked at each other with distaste; Ari seemed as if he had nothing more to say to me as he looked at me like a fool, his brows scrunched and his eyes squinted as he thought of some form of response. 

_ “Excuse me?” _

“It’s hard to trust someone that doesn’t trust you back.” I turned back to him with a glare as I looked him over, a scowl creeping its way on my face at the thoughts racking my mind. I couldn’t help but think about what Kenji had told me about Ari’s brother Kyo and it hurt me to think that everything I’ve been told thus far hasn’t been the truth. Did he actually kill his brother? Or was it some other trick that Kenji had pulled in order to draw me in closer? 

“What do you mean?” Ari asked, playing dumb all while struggling to keep calm. 

_ “What happened to your brother?” _

I watched the color slowly draining from Ari’s face at my question, his expression shifting from his angered one to a new shocked one. With everything that has happened tonight, you could tell that this question was another to add to his list of concerns. He was  _ not  _ a happy camper, made evident by the way he said, “I already told you what happened.”

“You told me very vaguely and avoided further discussion,” I argued, “something isn’t right about that.”

I watched him trail his tongue over the points of his teeth and the inside of his lips, his nostrils flared in irritation. With the way that his hands were clenching every so often, I was sure that my life would soon be ended by the hands of the same man that was basically my second dad.

“You don’t believe me?” He asked.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to believe anymore,” I watched as he ran a hand over the bottom of his face as if to calm himself down, his eyes looking at everything else in the hall but me. “Sensei, I want to believe you but everything you’re doing right now is making me think otherwise.”

Ari locked eyes with me at what I had pointed out to him before looking away once again, his hand still over his mouth and the other placed firmly on his hip. “He died in the fight with Orochimaru’s men; he fought hard and died a hero, kid. What more do you want from me?

“Is that the truth?”

I could feel the blood in my veins freeze at the look he gave me, his eyes squinted in displeasure; it took everything in me to stop my legs from giving in beneath me at the fear coursing through me, my own eyes fighting me to maintain contact with him. 

“Where did this come from all of a sudden? Why are you so intent on calling me a liar?”

“I was suspicious.”

_ “Bullshit.” _

“You getting aggressive and defensive isn’t helping your case.”

“You changing the subject to focus on me so quickly also seems pretty shady,” he huffed, “what are  _ you _ hiding?”

“I’m not hiding much of anything,” my heart was pounding in my chest as the conversation shifted back to me and my own situation, the fear of Ari finding out my own secrets making my breathing shaky and my limbs weak. I could see why he felt so under pressure when I was asking him all the questions. “The paper that I found came from an old book.”

“And where’d you get the book?”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter if it’s someone that is a criminal,” he mused.

The breath was caught in my throat the closer he got to find out what I had done, my mouth refusing to open at his thinking. There was no way in hell that I would tell him that I had gotten the pages from the same boy who is now a criminal working under Orochimaru in a hallway that’s right in front of the Hokage’s office. Saying something like that aloud in a public place was basically me asking for an early death. 

“Oh?” My silence was apparently the answer that he needed to his own question, an invisible light bulb appearing over his head. The realization dawned on his face as if he had finally stumbled onto something, his eyes widening and the hand over his mouth was slowly dropping. 

**_“No.”_ **

“No what?”

“I know,” he didn’t say much else after coming to his conclusion, repeatedly nodding his head as if he knew what had happened with a smug look on his face, “it makes sense now.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s obvious now, isn’t it?” The hand that was over his face was now raised in the air, revealing this conceited smile that I wasn’t all too sure I wanted to see.  _ “You got it from Kenji, didn’t you?” _

I’m doomed.

“Kenji? What, are you stupid? Why would I want anything to do with that fucker?” 

“I don’t know, Faith, you tell me.”

It felt as if the two of us had been dropped right back on square one with how the conversation was turning back to the two of us growing angry at one another; my blood had gone back to boiling in my veins in the heat of the moment, a strong desire to do something rash blinding me like a poor fool who has lost all control over herself. To think that I had been found out so easily after trying so hard to keep it hidden was infuriating to endure in such a time, and my fist was subconsciously clenched at my side as the desire to hit Ari continued to rise in my chest dangerously. 

“I got the paper with the instructions from an old book of sorts; I don’t know where the hell the book came from, end of story.” I managed to speak through gritted teeth, my jaw clenched furiously as I glared at the older man before me. Being accused of something was not a good feeling regardless if it’s true or not, but the fact that he had said it aloud in this hall made me want to do nothing more than knock the shit out of him for speaking of something that, in my opinion, has nothing to do with him.

My tone must have triggered something in my Sensei has he took large, intimidating steps forward towards me with a dangerous glint in his eyes, his expression sending signals to my mind and telling me to run away and hide in the safety of my home. Before the thoughts in my head could be turned into a reality, Ari’s hand reached out like a snake as it grabbed my forearm to give him the chance to yank me closer to him for him to whisper in my ear,  _ “I want you to pretend that we made up when we walk out of here, but we’re going to my place to talk.” _

I huffed in response to his instructions and did the best that I could to pull my arm back but Ari, unsurprisingly, is too damn strong for me to just do so. We locked eyes shortly after my attempt to escape, his eyes being so close to mine stealing the oxygen from my lungs as I feared the mood he had found himself in the heat of the moment. He soon released me, though I refused to shake the thought of how absolutely terrifying he had looked up close to me with the fiery look in his gaze. Such an expression was enough to fill me with fear of a man that I had deemed kind and friendly only moments prior to this encounter. I am afraid of him and every single thing he is capable of.

“We’re going to have some tea or something and then we’ll have a nice chat.” Ari’s expression shifted back into a kinder one, the arm that had captured my own being wrapped around my shoulders in what looked like a harmless gesture from the outside but like a cage trapping me in my own fate from the inside. His walk at my side was back to being casual and cheerful, his act only frustrating me further as if he had simply forgotten everything that had just taken place just moments prior.

I hate every second of this.


	65. Spilling The Tea

The two of us walked out casually, the sky above us dark and glittering with the bright, burning stars in the sky that were strewn about the indigo canvas; though Ari and I had just gotten through arguing up a storm in a place that many could overhear, the sky above was so soothing and gorgeous that I was nearly stunned into a stupor at the sight alone, though my body being moved along against my will was enough to remind me of the severity of the situation at hand. 

The walk was a silent one in the dead of night, the two of us walking side by side with our lips seemingly sealed up tight. After a bit of time that put some distance between us and the Hokage, Ari’s arm moved from around my shoulder up to my hair to ruffle it in a friendly way, a well-deserved sigh escaping past his lips. 

“I don’t like getting angry, kiddo, especially at you.” Ari pulled his hand away shortly after, resting it on my shoulder to give it a kind squeeze. “But I’m frustrated with everything that’s been happening; my brother died in the fight with Orochimaru’s people, our team has been mangled since… well, lately things haven’t been good.”

“Kyo wasn’t your last living relative, was he?”

Ari’s expression turned cold at this, his tone now harsh, “he was my last living relative that meant anything to me.”

“I… I see…” I shivered from his expression, turning to look at him just staring straight ahead at nothing in particular. I copied his actions to save myself from whatever my brain was telling me at the moment, looking around at the things that surrounded the two of us at the time.

“So, what’s it like?”

“What?” I turned back to look at Ari in confusion only to see him still facing forward without so much as a side glance in my direction, his deep blue gaze focused on the path laid out for us.

_ “What’s it like bringing the dead back?” _

I hesitated a moment or two out of concern for what he was getting at though I finally realized that it was mostly harmless considering it didn’t require me sharing everything that had happened tonight. I really didn’t have to tell him all that took place, but I was more than willing to express the pain it had caused. “Painful; everything hurts, you feel sick, there’s blood coming out of your nose, etcetera.”

“How did you get Senri from the grave to your home?” Ari looked concerned as he turned his head ever so slightly to face me, his eyes almost immediately locking onto my own. 

This is a trap, isn’t it?

“I carried him.”

_ Good one. _

“You carried him? All by yourself?”

“It sucked, but I panicked and took him to my house.” I nod my head in response to him, my visible eye lowering to look at my shoe as it kicked up dirt from the ground in a cloud that rolled away as the wind carried it. “I didn’t think it would be anything like this, y’know? When I first brought him back, his eyes were a pure white color but he never moved.”

I could feel his eyes boring into the side of my skull as I refused to look up at him, my own expression strained and my lips formed into a small pout of sorts. “I’m tired and my body aches.”

Almost as if on cue, the two of us reached the edge of what looks like the “busy” part of the village, the buildings now more spaced out and rare to come across. The area around us felt almost empty compared to the busier parts of Konoha as I looked through all of the trees that surrounded us on all sides, no buildings in sight now that we had wandered far enough.

“Where do you  _ live?” _

“My house isn’t too far from here; my parents wanted a secluded place to live so they moved in a place surrounded by nothing but trees.”

“It looks awesome out here!” I couldn’t hold in my interest in the area any longer, my eyes taking a second or two to look at every little thing in the area. To live out in a place that was so quiet and free from the crowded village was something that filled me with a sense of peace, especially when the home came into sight.

The house was rather nice considering it was kind of in the middle of what felt like nowhere; it was two stories high and was painted a pale white color as if it had been here for years before I was born, the porch was nice and cozy with a decorative plant sitting beside the door and a nice little bench to come out and relax on from time to time sitting against the edge of the porch along the faded railing, and there was a clearing around the house that looked perfect for roaming around and lounging in during the hotter months of the year. I was so engrossed in my surroundings that I hadn’t even noticed that Ari had walked away from my side until he turned back to me and called out.

“Are you coming or not? Never mind, I’m not giving you an option, get in here.” I rushed towards the house and moved inside under his arm with my head ducked, Ari following close behind me. “Don't mind the mess; I haven’t really had time to clean up.”

Taking a quick look around the house, I saw that there wasn’t really much of a mess; the kitchen and living room are connected and from where I was standing I was able to see a few dishes in the sink, there’s a thick blue blanket sitting on the dark grey couch to our right along with a small white pillow, and there are a few takeout trays in the trashcan against the counter that seems to cut off the living area and kitchen, the floor itself separated by the natural hardwood floor color and a faded white tile pattern. There is the occasional wrapper or something on the floor near the trash can as if Ari had tried but failed to throw them away from a distance, but it isn’t bad at all.

“Do you sleep on the couch?”

“Sometimes; I have my own bedroom upstairs but I’ve been sleeping down here recently.” Ari walked around me to the couch and picked up the pillow and blanket to toss them aside in a nearby matching armchair, patting the seat once it was clear. “Take a seat while I make some tea.”

I carefully lowered myself onto the couch as if I was afraid of ruining it as Ari walked over to the connected kitchen; I didn’t even bother trying to turn my head around and look at him as I knew the counter was going to block most of my vision anyway, thus, I slouched into a lazy position with a frown, staring at the small glass coffee table in front of me.

“So, now that we’re here I want you to tell me about what happened.”

I was dreading that.

“What more do you want from me?” I groaned, “I’ve told you all I know.”

“You didn’t tell me where you got the book from, not to mention that you’re acting fairly suspicious at the mention of Kenji.”

“Why wouldn’t I get upset about Kenji? All he’s done is cause me problems.” I couldn’t help but think back to some of my many encounters with the greasy boy, thoughts of the Chunin Exams, the trip with Jiraiya and Naruto, and even the most recent revival were coming to mind. “He framed me for murder after killing both Senri and Akyra, he tried to kill me during our Chunin Exams match, and decided to “surprise me” by showing up during my trip with Naruto and Jiraiya.”

“He what?”

“He broke into my room and used that geek ass jutsu on me,” I heard Ari sigh as he set the kettle on the stove, “he was trying to get Naruto for some reason but failed. He showed up later during the big fight though.”

“Did he now? What happened?” There was a crinkle as Ari picked something up, his body soon plopping down on the couch to my right with a package of Oreos as he bit into one with a soft crunch.

“It’s a little hazy now that I’m looking back on it, actually. I don’t remember being in control very much.” Memories of fighting in the middle of that large clearing of sorts seemed to pop up in my mind, though not a lot of them were very clear and easy for me to work with. “He showed up and we fought; I don’t remember some of the stuff in between but the only reason we stopped was that Takaya showed up.”

“Did he help you fight Kenji?”

I took one of the Oreos from the package and bit into it slowly, frowning right as the cookie crunched and crumbled in my mouth. “That’s where it gets complicated.”

“Complicated?” Ari watched me as I finished off the Oreo with a swift bite, wiping my hands on my pants while nodding after. “Well, don’t leave me hanging! Spill the tea!”

Almost immediately after asking me to “spill the tea” the kettle on the stove let out a loud, strained whistle of sorts as if asking for his attention like a greedy little attention seeker. Ari snatched another Oreo from the package before he stood up from the couch as he spoke through the cookie, “keep talking!”

“Okay, so Takaya showed up to help me out, right?”

“Yeah.”

_ “Well, apparently Takaya and Kenji are friends.” _

I could hear from the lack of things crashing in the background that Ari had stopped moving, and I assumed he had his head turned to look at the back of the couch. “Kenji? Friends with Takaya?”

“That’s what I thought.”

Ari came back into the living area with a tray that held the steaming hot kettle, two mason jars, and other assorted things that I assumed was meant to be added into the tea to suit one’s tastes. I wasn’t able to find the words to comment on why the hell there were  _ mason jars  _ instead of actual teacups, though I figured it was the least of my worries for the time being. Ari sets the tray down on the glass table in front of us and he began pouring us some tea, my eyes glued to what he was doing.

“Kenji actually listened to him, though, and stopped,” I muttered, watching the tea fall into the glass jars, “but, get this, Takaya has no idea about what Kenji has done.”

“He  _ what?”  _ Ari stopped spilling the tea to look over at me, his face showing how incredulous he was.

“I KNOW! We had to hug it off and he growled in my ear not to ruin this for him.” I watched Ari resume his tea-pouring while I frowned at the thought, cringing at subconsciously at the memory of his voice so close to my ear. “So, the whole time Takaya was there, Kenji was also there doing his best not to kill me.”

“Wait, he stuck around?”

“Yeah, he didn’t want me to tell Takaya what he’s done or whatever.”

Ari finally handed me one of the jars with steady hands as he made sure not to try and spill it as well as making sure he didn’t burn the skin from his hands. He also made sure to scoot the tray closer to where I was sitting so I’d be able to add what I wanted. He sits back after adding some sugar to his own jar, though he leaves it sitting on the table after stirring it to give it some time to cool.

“So, the moment we’ve been dreading.”

I leaned forward to put sugar in the jar but refused to turn and acknowledge that he had spoken to me, picking up a spoon to stir the hot drink while trying to avoid any form of contact with him. With the way I was leaning, I had my back to him and was able to hide my face from him, and if he decided to lean forward himself and ask again I would be forced to come up with some kind of excuse to get away from it. I could pull a bathroom thing if it really came down to it, though part of me knew I wouldn’t be able to look him in the eyes and say so.

“Tell me what happened.”

I could feel my breath hitch in my throat, the stirring of my tea getting louder as I intentionally made sure that my spoon hit the sides of the jar. I was overcome with a sense of fear and my body refused to move to turn and look at him, though I doubted that I wanted to do that anyway. The bathroom idea sounded like a really good plan at the moment but I was concerned that my body would forget how to function and I would drop to the floor like a corpse. Not to mention that I’m too dumb to think of a plan B at the moment.

“Kid, was it Kenji?”

Kenji, the little shitface that had caused all of this in the first place. The little shit that went and murdered his two teammates because he can’t control his anger issues, has tried to kill me on multiple occasions and has got me stuck here for interacting with him in order to find a way to bring the dead back. This was all Kenji’s fault, not mine.

“Faith, was it Kenji or not?”

I cringed at my own name being in the same sentence as his, my lips dropping into a subconscious scowl at the thought of our interactions. He seemed like an asshole that felt he was better than everyone else, and that even though I did quite a bit of work, if not all of it, bringing Senri back that he was the one who deserves the credit. Fuck, I hate him and that cocky attitude of his. I want to beat the shit out of him for what he’s done and what he continues to do. He’s probably out and about  _ right now  _ doing some dumb illegal shit that we’re going to have to look after or stop, and it’s all because his sensei is six feet underground. Damn this brat and—!

_ “Just answer the fucking question already; is it Kenji or not, Faith?!” _

“YES! YES, IT WAS KENJI, OKAY?!” The spoon in my hand clattered on the little glass table and if it wasn’t for the rage that was coursing through my veins I would have jumped at the sound. “He brought up the revival thing while we were there, and he told me to meet up with him after we got home! I met up with him that same night and he told me the plan!”

“Why the hell would he worry about revival?” 

I hesitated in my movements, my head slowly turning to look at him as he was now sitting straight up on the couch, probably from him raising his voice at me and breaking through my whole “don’t say a thing and you’ll be fine” thing. When I finally raised my gaze to his own, I swallowed my fear and said without stuttering, “he wants me to revive Kyo.”

I watched Ari’s eyes widen almost fearfully at the confession, his whole world seems to be paused as he let the information sink in. It was almost as if he forgot that Kenji was absolutely obsessed with his brother to the point of doing some crazy shit, though it seemed to dawn on him that everything that had taken place made perfect sense. I was a little worried about his mental state after a moment or so of him neither moving nor responding to me, so I took that as an opportunity to continue my thoughts.

“That’s why I was asking earlier; Kenji was telling me all these things and I just… I don’t want to believe him. Please tell me he’s wrong.”

_ “No, he’s right.”  _

Ari, once sitting up perfectly straight as he glared daggers into me, was now slouched forward over his tea with his jaw clenched. I couldn’t help but express my concern with wide eyes, watching as his fingers trailed over the side of his own jar. His expression was a clusterfuck of emotions all at once; I could see traces of sadness and anger, though confusion and guilt were just as present. It didn’t take a detective to see just how much he was struggling.

“Kyo… I…” he sighed, “I killed Kyo on the day of the attack.”

We sat in silence for a moment, the two of us coming to terms with what Ari had admitted; sure, it was a little difficult to hear your sensei that seemed so kind and loving admit that he had not only murdered someone but that someone turned out to be his own brother, but it was even harder for Ari to come to terms with the fact that he had actually  _ done so.  _ Sure, he was a ninja, and ninja are expected to carry out dark deeds, but did he really have to go so far as to kill his own sibling?

“Why?” I felt the words slip past my lips, my own curiosity getting the best of me.

“Because he was working with Orochimaru... I… I tried to reason with him but he wouldn’t listen to me… He was so  _ intent  _ on killing me.” Ari’s voice seemed to have cracked at the last bit, coming to terms with the reality that had come and slapped him across the face. “In the middle of it all, Kyo started telling me all this stuff that I wasn’t aware of; he’s been working with Orochimaru for quite some time, my parents didn’t die of illness and were actually murdered, the people that they were murdered by was my clan that I had no clue even existed and I have their murderous genes.

“I’ve actually been thinking about going after them, y’know? Just going to them and doing something, but every time that thought passes through my mind I wonder if it’s my genes that are making me want to do so which makes me back out because I don’t want to be anything like them.”

It was like a punch in the gut to see my sensei so distraught; I felt lost listening to him go on a ramble or rant of some sort as I tried to make sense of what it was that he’s saying, though the more I was left to think the more I felt I was trapped. I felt pity and sorrow for him, knowing that someone like himself deserved the world and everything in it regardless of the clan that tries bringing him down. They’ve caused him nothing but grief even though he’s never met them in his life, and even though he wants nothing more than to get payback for what they’ve done there’s nothing he can really do.

“I avoided talking about it because everyone already knows I’m a Cross; now that I’ve figured out my apparent heritage and whatnot, everything makes sense as to why I was avoided like the plague as a child. They don’t trust me at all and the moment I tell them I killed my brother, I’m done for.” Ari sighed, his brows scrunched as he struggled to make sense of everything.

“I know that feeling; I’m not very popular myself since not only am I a Jinchuriki which already puts me pretty low on the popularity list, but I’m a literal abomination.” I looked over to Ari to see him visibly confused, his gaze shifting to the headband that covered my eye. “Speaking of my eye, Orochimaru was the one who messed it up.”

“Can I…? Y’know…?”

I wasn’t dumb enough not to catch the question of his, though it took me a moment to agree as I nodded hesitantly. My left hand raised to lift the headband that covered the eye that rarely ever got the chance to see the light of day, and even though the light in the room wasn’t very bright it took me quite some time to open it after the removal of the head protector. Slowly, but surely, I managed to open my eye and let it take some time to adjust to my surroundings, looking over to the patiently waiting man nervously. His expression shifted almost immediately though nothing left his mouth for quite some time, though when it did it was about as much as I expected.

“Well… Okay…” Ari exhaled, releasing the breath he wasn’t even aware he was holding in. “It looks cool if that means anything.”

“I guess…” 

The two of us laughed gently though it faded rather quickly leaving the two of us to sit in an uncomfortable silence; the stirring of my tea continued as the spoon occasionally hit the side of the glass, though there was nothing left to stir considering it was rather sweet as is and it had cooled down too much for anything to really dissolve. Ari was just sipping lightly on his while his hand roamed the couch for the Oreos, only finding them once I moved them into his hand.

“It’s not worth it at all. I never use it and it only burdens me; if I could have everything be as it was I would be much happier.”

Ari sat in silence with me after my confession, the two of us raising our jars to take a sip of our tea at the same time. I paused a moment before taking a second sip, relishing in the comforting and warming taste before opening my mouth again to complain.

“This damn thing cost me my life for nothing; I refuse to use it but because I have no idea how to use it, not to mention the damn animal things in me.” It felt nice to be able to get these sorts of things off my chest in the heat of the moment, especially when an opportunity had never really shown itself to me before so I could talk about it.

“We’re just a couple of misfits, huh?” Ari looked like he was struggling to hold back some kind of gentle chuckle as he raised his jar to his lips for a sip.

The two of us were gifted another moment of silence for the time being as we stared into the abyss without so much as a word being passed to the other. These little periods of time where there was nothing for me to really listen to were what got my brain to think over everything as many times as possible, and this time was no different. Now, I was stuck thinking about how I had somehow managed to bring an actual corpse back to life with the help of a greasy boy with horrible coping mechanisms as well as who it is that he wanted to bring back more than anyone in the world: Kyo.

“I’ve considered doing it, y’know? Bringing back Kyo and all.” Ari’s head perked up at this to look at me, snatched from his thoughts as he focused on what I was saying. He didn’t really say anything in response as he struggled with words, but I took the silence as my opportunity to keep talking. “I was afraid of bringing him back first in case I needed some sort of help with it but I don’t actually need help at all.

“I want to do it as soon as possible but it’s not that easy; there are some things I need to bring them back like DNA from them from when they were alive and whatever happened to kill them. Not to mention the toll it took on my body when bringing Senri back might be there each time.” I took a small sip of my tea before just finishing the rest of it off, taking a moment for myself as I questioned my own actions. “I dunno, I’m worried about making the wrong choice or something.”

“Well, for now, I think you’re doing great. Life tries to throw curveballs at us to get us down, but the big thing here is that you’re still pushing forward! I’m proud of you, kiddo.” Ari reached over to give me a nice comforting pat on the back, smiling warmly at me. “I was wrong for not trusting you in the first place, not to mention I wasn’t completely honest with you from the start. Sure, it eventually came out over some Oreos and cheap tea, but I’m glad we both were able to get this off our chests in the end. It sucks to bottle things up, and I’d hate to think that you can’t trust me enough to talk to me. I’m here for you, okay? No matter what life throws at us.”

I couldn’t stop the smile that spread over my face, though it took everything I had in me not to burst into tears at his kindness; Ari was always someone that I looked up to since the day I had first been assigned to his cell and there was nothing that was going to change my opinion of him. Sure, he had made some mistakes in the past and he did hold out on me when it came to what happened with his brother, but I know for a fact that Ari isn’t the kind of person to do so without a good reason. Because I was so emotional at the moment, I leaned forward and hugged him as tight as I could and took comfort in his arms as he hugged back, relishing in the warmth that seemed to practically radiate from his body.

“Now, as the team dad, I’m ordering you to stay in the guest room tonight so you don’t get hurt on the way home.”

“Got it,  _ dad,”  _ I joked.

“That’s the spirit! Let me show you where your room is so I can tuck you in.” Ari released me from his hug to ruffle my hair with that big dopey smile of his on his face, undoubtedly happy that I had gone along with it. 

“Sensei, I’m not five.”

“I don’t care if you’re twenty-five, I’m being a good dad.”

He took my hand and led me up the stairs by the front door towards the guest bedroom that he had mentioned before, allowing me to get a better look at the rest of the house; the upstairs was much cleaner than the lower half of the house, though it was expected considering that he was constantly down there, and the hall itself was fairly spacious so more than one person could walk through it without bumping shoulders. From the top of the stairs you were granted with the option to go either left or right though I assumed since there was only one door on the right that it was his parent’s old room considering parents are always the type to pull the whole “we like this one because it’s bigger and secluded” thing. There were four rooms to the left that I was able to see once we had stepped out, and it was then that I realized that there was a railing that I could look over to see the kitchen and living area below. I wasn’t given much time to really get a look from that spot as Ari continued to drag me along, but my inner Takuma was reminding me that I should try to jump from that rail and onto the couch sometime soon. Of the four doors that were available to us, there were to that were on the wall to our left now that we were standing in the left hall, a single door directly in front of us, and another room that was to the right of the room in front of us making the railing form a nice L shape. I put two and two together when Ari opened the door closest to the stairs as I assumed two of them belonged to Ari and Kyo, making the last one have to be a bathroom or something of the sort.

“This room rarely gets used so it should feel like new.” 

Ari opened the door to reveal a nice cozy room inside; there’s a small bookshelf against the left wall and a bed in the top right corner with soft white blankets that seem to have little to no wrinkles, there’s a small side table to the right of the bed with a small lamp on it, and a small desk that sits across from the bed in the upper left corner of the room with another small lamp on it for late night studying. It looked fairly empty all things considered, but knowing that Ari was kind enough to let me stay there was good enough for me.

“It looks cozy in here,” I said gently, “Thank you, sensei.”

“No problem, kiddo. Now, get some sleep; we have a whole new day ahead of us!”

Ari smiled softly as he closed the door behind him, leaving me to look around the room alone. I slowly approached the bookshelf to get a good look at some of the titles, running my fingers along the dusty spines as I made my way over to the desk. I trailed my hand over the wooden surface for a second before reaching over and turning on the lamp, mainly to see if it still worked considering everything in this room looks like it hasn’t been used in a little while. I flicked it back off as I made my way over to the bed and the side table to try that lamp as well, switching it on with a satisfying click. I decided to leave this one on, opening the small drawer on the table to see a small book resting inside. When I picked it up to look at it I could tell almost immediately that it was some kind of medical book from the diagrams that were contained inside and the post-it notes with comments written on them, and when I closed it and set it on the small table I saw the title  _ Medical Terminology  _ written across the top.

I flopped on the bed after setting the book down, though I hit my head on something that was underneath the pillow. It was obvious that someone had slept in here before me with the way the pillow was rather flat towards the middle since I was able to feel something beneath it, and after reaching my hand under it to find what it was I was greeted with a small black glasses case. I was a little confused at first until I managed to put two and two together and opened it, revealing a pair of large black glasses.

Takuma’s glasses.

I took them out of the case with a sad smile and put them on for a moment and laughing at how hard it is for me to see with them on, quick to put them back in the case as I looked back over at the small book that I assumed was Kimashi’s. It finally seemed to set in that the two were gone for good, the tears forming in my eyes which blurred the little title of the book. I want nothing more than to revive them and have them join in the cell activities and missions, I want to hang out with them during our free time and have Takuma make jokes about me with Kimashi looking over us with his soft smile, I want to give them a chance to live again just as I’ve done for Senri even though it was because of Kenji that he was brought back in the first place. They deserve to live, and there’s nothing I can do about it. Not only would I need to find some pieces of their DNA, but both of them died by Orochimaru which means I’d have to find a way to snatch that sword of his from his throat and do something about that curse mark jutsu.

Of course, nothing would go as I wanted it to.

I set the glasses on top of the medical book and lay down, pulling the warm covers up close to my face as I stared at the things on the table in the dim lamplight. My mind was racing a mile a minute and it took every bit of my willpower not to start sobbing on the spot, but thankfully my mind eased up as time went on and I drifted into sweet unconscious bliss with the lamp to calm me down.

I would find a way, no matter what the costs.


End file.
